Inaction is not an option for confectionery brands if they want to survive in an age of increased regulation on sugared products, writes Neil Davidson, managing director of brand agency HeyHuman.
Snack industry experts have long suspected Mars Wrigley’s acquiring a minority stake from KIND Snacks last year was its first move to eventually swallow one of the trendiest snack bar makers in the US.
Nestlé has posted flat organic sales growth in confectionery in fiscal 2017, but saw an uptick for premium brands such as Les Recettes De L’Atelier and sales in direct-to-consumer KitKat stores.
UK confectioner Bon Bon Buddies (BBB), 80% of whose business is in licensing, has unveiled a branded range of sour candies with new packaging under its Brain Blasterz range.
Premium chocolate manufacturer Russell Stover stepped out on the chilly Valentine’s morning in Chicago, giving away over 5,000 heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.
Hershey has unveiled a range of confections for this year’s Valentine’s Day, which should bring in more candy sales than last year in the US, according to the National Retail Federation.
Trian Fund Management CEO Nelson Peltz, who pushed for a merger between Mondelēz and PepsiCo five years ago, will stand down from Mondelez’s Board of Directors as the Cadbury maker names two new members.
Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar, Dylan Lauren, recently said the company plans to launch a range of healthy candies soon that include vegan and gluten-free products.
Big Bear Confectionery’s Fox’s Glacier brand has refreshed its packaging, added tropical and berry flavors and introduced travel packs intended to create new consumption occasions.
Swedish firm AarhusKarlshamm AB (AAK) has reported ‘record-high’ operating profit of SEK 471m ($58m) for Q4 2017, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.
Mars plans to quit industry-funded science group, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), and says it will support research regardless of results after making its science policy public.
Clean label can imply a base level of health for confectionery products, whose high-sugar and high-fat status can make consumption hard to justify, says a new report by Euromonitor.
If a product in the EU has a 'no added sugar', it cannot contain any added sweetener, natural or artificial. Yet too many companies are flouting this law and it's "pure and simply illegal", says Belgian consumer group Test Achats.
Vegan, sugar free and exotic flavors are among the contributors that made Brazilian confections popular in Europe last year, as Brazilian exports of sweets, snacks and ingredients to the EU grew by over 73% in value, according to trade body ABICAB.
Mondelēz’s new CEO Dirk Van de Put, who replaced Irene Rosenfeld last November, called 2017 ‘a solid year’ as the company’s organic sales during Q4 and full fiscal year 2017 grew 2.4% and 0.9% respectively.
PEZ International expects a Flamingo dispenser with coconut candies and a licensing deal with upcoming blockbuster Jurassic World will drive its sales in 2018.
NID confectionery specialist has updated its starch molding equipment in accordance with the EU’s latest ATEX directive on the use of equipment in explosive environments.
Swedish confectioner Cloetta will discontinue its Candyking business in Poland in 2018 as it does not see profit growth in the market, says CEO and president Henri de Sauvage-Nolting.
UK campaign group Action on Sugar is calling on the government to prohibit confectionery price promotions and to introduce a candy tax of at least 20%.
Barry Callebaut may build another chocolate factory in China as its current 30,000-suqare-meter site in the Suzhou Industrial Park is ‘already operating at near full capacity,’ says the company’s Asia Pacific president, Ben De Schryver.
German confectioner Haribo has launched three lines of sugar-reduced gummies – Fruitilicious, Sea Friends, and Fruity Penguins – in select European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France.
Nestlé has sold its US candy business ($924m in 2016 sales), which includes Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Raisinets, to Nutella maker Ferrero for $2.8bn in cash.
Large CPG companies’ recent dropouts from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) including Mars and Nestlé were ‘more predictable’ than Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods last year, wrote Rabobank in its recent report.
Ferrero would become the ‘third largest player in chocolate confectionery in the world if it successfully acquires Nestlé’s US candy business, a deal that is expected to come through by the end of this week, said Euromonitor.
While Mars is currently the market leader in China’s chocolate confectionery space, Ferrero has been growing over the past five years with increased shares year-over-year, the latest Euromonitor data shows.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) wants feedback on the method it plans to use to calculate the maximum amount of sugar that can be included in a healthy diet.
Manufacturers' Evolved Nutrition logo makes foods high in sugar, fat and salt seem healthier than they are, according to campaign group Foodwatch which has compared products under the UK's traffic light and the industry-own label.
Hershey has decided not to renew its membership with the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) in 2018, but it remains part of the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
