The British-based Chocolate Powder Company says it is testing the
weight loss effects of a cocoa-based diet pill that could soon be
ready for launch on the US weight loss market.
Chocoholics rejoice: 2005 was the year it became clear chocolate
really is good for you. But before Christmas ushers in a race to
cram the candy, reflect a moment on where the benefits truly lie,
and where they don't.
Early success for Fonterra's chocolate-flavoured cheese in Taiwan
has the firm planning to expand the product across Asia in an
attempt to "re-define cheese".
Fresh from airing its photographic chocolate technology on the
BBC's Dragons Den, Chocpix looks to have more innovation up
its sleeve. At the ISM show next month, it will be unveiling the
world's first edible comic.
FGH Consulting has developed methods for using inulin to make low
glycemic index, low calorie and high fiber confectionery and other
food products that are suitable for diabetics. As its first
chocolate bars come to market, the company...
After two years of development ChocoMed, a subsidiary of House of
Brussels Chocolates, is launching its first health and wellness
products using chocolate bars as the delivery medium.
The world's leading cocoa processor Barry Callebaut said yesterday
that it had new evidence to support the anti-cancer and anti-ageing
benefits of its healthy chocolate Acticoa.
The soluble fibre inulin, best known for its beneficial effects on
the gut, also lowers the glycaemic index of dark chocolate,
according to a new study, suggesting the ingredient could be used
in products targeted at blood sugar control.
Growing demand for custom chocolate bars has forced US confectioner
Totally Chocolate to double its existing manufacturing capacity by
opening a new factory.
A new concept in scented packaging has been jointly developed by
European, American and Asian companies to give cosmetic and
personal care a new kind of sensory packaging and another tool to
promote their products.
As supply and demand issues for non-GM lecithin propel ingredients
manufacturers to push alternatives onto the market, Danish
emulsifier firm Palsgaard launches citric acid ester as a lecithin
replacer.
Freshly created AarhusKarlshamn, a merger between former vegetable
fats competitors Aarhus and Karlshmans, completes the building
blocks of its new structure.
Seasonal chocolate sales in the US are forecast to reach $3.3bn
(€2.6bn) in 2005, marking a substantial decline over the past five
years, according to a new report published by Research and Markets.
Key to successful premium chocolate product development is an
understanding of the varying consumer habits, expectations and
behaviour in different countries, according to leading Swiss
premium chocolate manufacturer Lindt &...
Leading premium chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli has
reported record first half results on the back of increased demand
for premium products in an otherwise slow-moving European chocolate
market.
British chocolate maker and retailer Thorntons has announced that
its chairman Christopher Burnett is considering making a buyout
offer to the company.
US confectionery company Hershey is marching along the acquisition
trail, announcing this week that it has bought another premium
chocolate firm, Californian-based Joseph Schmidt Confections.
Kraft Foods is to re-brand Dime bars in the UK in a long awaited
move to standardize the name of the popular crunchy milk chocolate
bars throughout Europe.
Chocolate fountains are emerging as a must-have accessory at
weddings and, as the craze spreads to other events, confectioners
could be set to benefit, writes Lorraine Heller.
Leading US confectionery firm Hershey announced last week its plans
to acquire Californian-based chocolate maker Scharffen Berger in a
deal which the company hopes will allow it to break into the niche
premium quality dark chocolate...
Barry Callebaut, the world's largest supplier of bulk chocolate,
plans to cut costs in Europe as the Swiss firm posts a fall in
revenue for nine month figures.
Tens of thousands of Snickers and Mars chocolate bars were recalled
in the Australian state of New South Wales following a threat to
contaminate the products, writes Claire Johnston.
Far from being an unhealthy treat, the scientific evidence is
support of the health benefits of eating dark chocolate are
stacking up. The latest research indicates that the flavonoid-rich
substance could have a protective effect...
Our journalist Angela Drujinina brings you the latest
research on Russia¡¯s chocolate market, including producers¡¯
concerns, the market situation and market leaders.
US ingredients player reaches deeper into Europe, clearing a deal
this week to buy industrial chocolate facility Schierstedter
Schokoladefabrik from existing customer, Ludwig Schokolade,
writes Lindsey Partos.
Confectionery makers continue to tap into consumer weight and
health concerns in a bid to boost stagnant sales as UK confectioner
Cadbury launches a new range of chocolate bars with under 99
calories.
British confectioner Cadbury is to enter the flourishing organic
chocolate sector for the first time, after acquiring Green and
Black's - the company behind the UK's fastest growing confectionery
brand, Tom Armitage reports.
Cadbury Schweppes, the world's number two confectionery
manufacturer, is to revamp its famous Bournville chocolate-making
facility, as demand for its Dairy Milk brand continues to soar,
Tom Armitage reports.
Scientists from the US reveal how a powerful chocolate ingredient
exerts anti-cancer properties, findings that could one day be used
to design novel cancer treatments.
Barry Callebaut has developed a new process designed to preserve
the valuable polyphenols in cocoa beans during chocolate
production, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Eating dark chocolate improves glucose metabolism and decreases
blood pressure, reveals fresh research, bringing new leverage to
the market potential of chocolate for food makers,writes Lindsey
Partos.
Another study on chocolate finds that the dark variety decreases
blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity in healthy people,
lending weight to its potential for heart health.
Democrats Tom Harkin and Eliot L. Engel wrote a hard-hitting piece
in the LA Times on Monday about the human cost of the chocolate
trade, but the cocoa industry has hit back by reaffirming its
commitment to responsible farming.
Chocolate consumption in the UK is slowing down as health and diet
concerns impact sales, a trend which has created opportunities for
major players to roll out sugar free and low carbohydrate products,
according to market analysts...
Elizabeth Shaw, the UK confectioner, is set to exploit the
burgeoning trend for luxury chocolates, launching a revamped
packaging line in time to penetrate the lucrative Christmas market,
Tom Armitage reports.
Ladco Advanced Engineering, the parent company of Scotland-based
MacIntyre Chocolate Systems, has acquired Petzholdt-Heidenauer
International, in a bid to extend both companies' global reach in
the competitive chocolate processing...
Health benefits of chocolate continue to grow with UK researchers
isolating an ingredient present in this popular foodstuff that
could help stop persistent coughs.
Evidence backing the health promoting benefits of chocolate
continues to mount, bringing dynamism to slacking sales, reports
Lindsey Partos. Researchers from Spain have discovered that
polyphenols found in cocoa extract influence...
A new chocolate bar which claims to be made from sustainable cocoa
plantations was launched in New York late last month with high
hopes of building on the growing awareness of ethical products
among today’s consumers. Chris Jones...
Research published this month suggests that some cocoa and
chocolate products have a very high flavanol content, a factor
which makes them good at protecting the body against cardiovascular
disease. But all chocolate products do not...
Research from the US suggests that women could have a sweeter tooth
than men - good news for confectionery manufacturers looking to
roll out new products with a feminine slant but less so for women
seeking to keep control of their...
Chocolate makers could see savings from new research that sets out
to tackle the common problem of fat bloom, an unsightly white
powdery film that forms on the outside of chocolate, writes
Lindsey Partos.
Confectionery giant Mars is one of several food companies
collaborating on a new research project designed to provide more
information about phytonutrients, beneficial compounds found in a
range of products, including chocolate.
