Ingredients

‘Retrovate’ don't ‘innovate’ granola startups, says former Kellogg’s director

19-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

The increasingly crowded granola bars category has made it difficult for startups to gain ground. However, introducing new ingredients might not be the solution, suggests Ernie Pang.

Euromar drags down European cocoa grind as global market set for surplus

19-Jan-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

European cocoa processing volumes declined in the fourth quarter after processor Euromar became insolvent; the global cocoa market is also expected to enter a supply surplus.

Mondelēz expands Trident gum in Europe against headwind from fading chewing habit

19-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz has reported “positive” results after it launched a series of Max flavors under its multiple gum brands in Europe, including Trident, Stimorol and Hollywood, according to the spokesperson of company’s European branch, Steve Mann.

Americanna to expand distillation program after initial success with cannabis puffed gummies

19-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

'Garden-to-gummy' edibles confectioner Americanna has announced a new company-wide distillation program, called Pure Distillate, to make purer cannabis concentrate. 

Divine Chocolate joins Tony’s Chocolonely as B Corps certified company

18-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Part cocoa farmer-owned company Divine Chocolate has joined B Corps in hope of making its business more transparent. 

How will the end of EU sugar quotas impact confectioners?

12-Jan-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Confectionery manufacturers can expect an increased supply of sugar at reduced prices once the European Union lifts sugar production quotas later this year.

Mondelēz reports ‘no difficulties’ opening gum R&D center in gum-banned Singapore

12-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Trident maker Mondelēz has broken ground for its gum R&D center in Jurong, Singapore, as part of a $65m investment in developing a global network of research and development facilities. But why did it opt for a country where importing and chewing...

Mondelēz hatches Cadbury Oreo Egg ‘n’ Spoon in the UK

12-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz-owned Cadbury has launched a new Oreo-inspired egg in the UK market, the Cadbury Dairy Milka Egg ‘n’ Spoon Oreo.

Startup Tracker

Fantasy Candies owner creates probiotic chocolate startup Blue Planet

11-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Long-time candy maker and owner of the Ohio-based Fantasy Candies, Joel Fink, hopes to take probiotic chocolate to the national level through his new startup called Blue Planet Chocolate. 

Startup Tracker

Saffron-infused chocolate comes to the UK and the Netherlands

10-Jan-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Startup firm Mahbir has launched a range of premium Indian foods containing saffron to the UK and the Netherlands, including a Belgian milk chocolate infused with the spice.

Transparency and portion-control: Execs at top candy firms set 2017 expectations

10-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mars Wrigley, Ferrara, Just Born, and other top candy firms offer their business outlooks for 2017 and share details of innovation in the pipeline.

Belgian Boys taps imported European snacks growth with butter cookies

09-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

European snack startup, Belgian Boys, will roll out its butter cookies inspired by the original Belgian cookie, Speculoos, across the US in February. 

Runamok Maple creates new maple candy brand after acquisition

09-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

Vermont-based maple syrup producer, Runamok Maple, has just started producing maple candy products for the first time after acquiring Bascom Maple Farms’ maple candy operation.

Sterling fluctuation caused by Brexit is partly to blame

US unit of Hershey, Mars and Nestlé’s cocoa supplier, Transmar, files for bankruptcy

05-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

The US unit of cocoa trading and supplying company Transmar Group has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York after the parent company experienced insolvency in Europe. 

Chewing hemp gum can relieve IBS, says AXIM Biotech

05-Jan-2017 By Jenny Eagle

AXIM Biotechnologies (AXIM Biotech) cannabinoid research and development says it has received positive pharmacokinetic (PK) data results on its CanChew Plus CBD Gum.

Oregon edibles processors speak about marijuana testing rule change

03-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

The new marijuana testing regulations have made it much tougher for cannabis edibles producers to operate, reports the industry.

Raisio chief resigns: ‘Time for new adventures’ after 36 quarters of continuous growth

03-Jan-2017 By Shane STARLING

Raisio chief executive officer Matti Rihko tells us he is moving onto a new venture later this year and was proud to have overseen Raisio’s transition from a challenged regional player into a “profitable international brandhouse” in his 10 years at the...

Candy and snack brands clash over hydroponics organic certification

22-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

CEOs of organic candy and snack brands, including Pure Growth Organic, iWon Organics and Torie & Howard, have voiced their opinions on whether hydroponically-grown foods should be certified as organic.

Project 7 enters licensing business with Girl Scouts cookie-inspired gums and mints

21-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

Gourmet chewy candy brand, Project 7, has entered its first licensing business by launching Girl Scouts cookie-inspired gum and mints, the company recently announced.

Mondelēz launches Green & Black’s bars with Cocoa Life Program label

19-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

The Oreo maker has introduced seven new Green & Black’s bars to the US premium chocolate market.

Consumer’s confusion over sustainability labels spurs outcry among cocoa industry leaders

19-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

Cocoa industry insider, Marc Donaldson, voiced that approximately $2bn investment in cocoa sustainability over the past 10 years has achieved “so little.” He suggested consumers should take the sustainability issue on themselves instead of pushing the...

‘Dunkable’ Mallow & Marsh secures Starbucks listings in the UK

16-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

UK’s premium marshmallow brand Mallow & Marsh has announced it will be available in over 800 Starbucks stores in the UK and will be promoted on the coffee chains mobile app.

Chong’s Choice launches first cannabis chocolate bars in collaboration with Défoncé

16-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

One of the largest cannabis brands in the US, Chong’s Choice, has launched five different chocolate bars through a partnership with infused chocolate maker, Défoncé Chocolatier. The decision was made shortly after the state of California legalized recreational...

‘Bring home the bacon’: Pecan Deluxe Candy launches bacon fudge pieces

15-Dec-2016 By Jenny Eagle

Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe) has launched bacon and smoky bacon flavor fudge pieces to stay ahead of the competition.

Four big trends in chocolate for 2017: Cargill identifies growth drivers

15-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

Cargill says indulgent, premium, healthy, and sustainable and clean, will be the key trends driving the chocolate and cocoa industry next year.

Ethical certification promises much - but it's been a tough year

14-Dec-2016 By David Burrows

Back in 2014 I interviewed Hans Jöhr, who at the time was corporate head of agriculture at Nestlé. We had a (refreshingly) open discussion about certification schemes. Some of them are “cheating consumers” and “cannot help farmers be better farmers per...

Editor's Blog

Confectionery taxes doomed to fail in EU after Finland ruling?

14-Dec-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Confectionery may be spared from a category specific tax in Europe, but it remains threatened by added sugar taxes levied on all food and drinks, writes ConfectioneryNews editor Oliver Nieburg.

Confectionery Innovation Forum 2016

Outside the candy box: Five sources of confectionery NPD inspiration

07-Dec-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Project7 CEO Tyler Merrick and Mintel’s director of insights Marcia Mogelonsky pinpoint the websites and places to watch for new product development inspiration.

Barry Callebaut CEO: US legal risks no reason not to act on cocoa sustainability

06-Dec-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

The legal risk of acknowledging there is child labor and extreme poverty in the chocolate industry’s supply chain is no reason not to act, says Barry Callebaut’s CEO.

Vox Pop: Can consumers tell the difference between sustainable cocoa labels?

05-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

Many consumers struggle to tell the difference between cocoa certification program labels like Fairtrade and company own labels, such as Nestlé’s Cocoa Plan, but all agree social responsibility should be a priority for chocolate makers.

R&D

Nestlé develops natural method to cut sugar in chocolate by 40%

01-Dec-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Nestlé plans to introduce a faster-dissolving sugar across some of its confectionery range from 2018.

Startup Tracker

Florida bean-to-bar maker Pinellas Chocolate opens first retail store

01-Dec-2016 By Douglas Yu

State-inspired chocolate maker Pinellas Chocolate Company has opened its first retail store in Largo, Florida, where customers can sample its products and witness how bean-to-bar chocolate is made.

Cisse Cocoa brings single-origin cocoa beans to its snacking chocolate products

Cisse Cocoa to expand fair trade chocolate snacks in key retailers

29-Nov-2016 By Douglas Yu

Cisse Cocoa has brought fair trade, single-origin cocoa beans to its chocolate bark products, as the company believes the 'snackfection' trend is no longer a secret to the consumer

ISA: Mechanism ‘not plausible’ to explain aspartame’s role in weight loss

25-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

A mechanism found to explain why aspartame prevents weight loss in humans is "not plausible" according to the International Sweeteners Association (ISA).

Child labor eradication pledge

Barry Callebaut sets 2025 target for sustainable cocoa

24-Nov-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has pledged to bring 500,000 cocoa farmers out of extreme poverty and eradicate child labor in its supply chain under an initiative to source fully sustainable cocoa by 2025.

Thew Arnott launches zein-based food glaze for confectionery products

22-Nov-2016 By Douglas Yu

The UK-based specialty ingredients developer, Thew Arnott, is now offering a vegan alternative to shellac in its range of AraTAs coatings for confectionery products. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac beetle, and is often used a food glaze.

Americanna spearheads edibles market by launching first Cannabis puffs

21-Nov-2016 By Douglas Yu

The cannabis industry just welcomed a new edibles format, puffs, thanks to one of the major edibles brands in the US market, Americanna. 

‘Next stage of evolution’: Mondelēz teams with Fairtrade to expand Cocoa Life to Cadbury brand

17-Nov-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelēz International has partnered with Fairtrade to grow the chocolate maker’s own program Cocoa Life to cover all Cadbury products in the UK & Ireland.

Eight-minute podcast: Fairtrade’s new cocoa director

Fairtrade to review cocoa premium against farmer income study

15-Nov-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Fairtrade International plans next year to review its minimum price and premium for certified cocoa against a study measuring the drivers of income for farmers.

Peppersmith repositions as dental health brand, targeting $3.8m sales

14-Nov-2016 By Douglas Yu

UK mint and gum maker Peppersmith is to reposition itself as a dental health brand and has secured a listing in supermarket Waitrose's dental section.

Yummex Middle East

Katjes to launch ‘Cola the Cat’ in the Middle East

14-Nov-2016 By Jenny Eagle

Katjes plans to launch ‘Cola the Cat’ jellies in 2017 after a successful year entering the Middle East market.

Behind the curtain: Calls for accountability in cocoa chain grow louder

07-Nov-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Chocolate companies are coming under increasing scrutiny to publish third-party verified impacts on cocoa sustainability efforts, including taxes paid in origin countries.

Annual results 2015/16

Barry Callebaut outstrips chocolate volume growth as chairman steps down

02-Nov-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has outpaced the overall global chocolate market in its full-year results as long-serving chairman Andreas Jacobs announces plans to step down.

Hydrogenated vegetable fats are not the main source of nickel in confectionery, finds Czech study

24-Oct-2016 By Michelle Yeomans

Hydrogenated vegetable fats are not the main source of nickel in finished confectionery products as previously assumed, a Czech study suggests.

NACS 2016

Mars debuts caramel-filled M&M's produced by new technology

24-Oct-2016 By Douglas Yu

Mars has launched M&M’s Caramel at the recent NACS show in Atlanta, Georgia, which will join Peanut, Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter as the largest four variants for the brand.

Cobden and Brown eyes expansion after 100% cocoa bar launch

20-Oct-2016 By Douglas Yu

Northern Irish chocolatier Cobden and Brown has plans to enter southern neighbor the Republic of Ireland after recently introducing a 100% cocoa bar, according to the company’s founder and CEO, Caroline McArdle.

Gummies overtake chocolate in Colorado cannabis edibles space

20-Oct-2016 By Douglas Yu

Gummies are now the most popular cannabis edibles in Colorado with a share of 22% share of sales in the sector, says a newly released report from BDS Analytics’ GreenEdge database.

Interview with Rick Scobey, WCF president

Productivity alone won’t bring farmers above the poverty line: New WCF president

18-Oct-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Yield increases must be coupled with agricultural reforms in origin countries and stronger financing packages to bring cocoa farmers out of poverty, according to the World Cocoa Foundation’s new president.

X-ray fat for formulation wins?

14-Oct-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Food scientists are X-raying fats in a bid to understand how saturated and trans-fats can be replaced by healthier versions without compromising taste or texture.

Q3 cocoa grind in Europe

Netherlands may overtake Côte d'Ivoire as leading cocoa processor

13-Oct-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

The Netherlands is expected to have overtaken Côte d'Ivoire as the leading cocoa processor for the 2015/16 cocoa season, as Europe's cocoa grind reaches a five-year high.