Representatives of the cocoa industry from across the world have agreed on a framework to achieve a sustainable cocoa economy and plan to set up a sustainability fund to help benefit producers.
Government officials in Ghana have announced plans to transform the country’s shea nut production to echo the success of its cocoa industry, according to reports.
Sugar could be shedding its bad boy image to take a surprise spot on the public’s list of trusted ingredients, as manufacturers look to appeal to more savvy consumers.
Cadbury said it may have to further raise its prices for 2010 as the cost of cocoa has remained stubbornly high, economic conditions are turbulent and markets competitive.
Barry Callebaut is a step closer to boasting about the antidepressant properties of cocoa on its product labels after a study funded by the company found that it could have a mood-lifting effect.
The sugar and ingredients divisions of Associated British Foods (ABF) are expected to show good growth backed favourable foreign exchange rates when its interim results are announced in April.
Danisco has reported a good result for its 2008/9 sugar campaign, which should be the last before the sale of its sugar division to Nordzucker receives regulatory go-ahead.
Chocolate makers are set to absorb yet more price rises for their key ingredient cocoa after prices crashed through the £2,000 (€2133) a tonne barrier last week.
The World Cocoa Foundation is offering a guide to the cocoa industry on sustainability principles that focus on equitable profit, labour standards and environmental issues.
The Real Good Food Company has announced it is consolidating two of its businesses which serve the baking industry to stream-line its management team and build on innovation capabilities.
The sale of Danisco Sugar to Nordzucker now looks unlikely to close this month as planned, as more time is required for the competition authorities to address important questions.
The Ivory Coast is taking steps to protect its cocoa industry with a plan to improve the quality of its crop which is said to have fallen in standards over the last decade, according to reports.
A recent study which claimed to suggest the existence of sugar addiction in animal studies created an unnatural circumstance and may be of little relevance to humans, according to a professor at the University of Swansea.
Scientists for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed two new sugarcane varieties which they have shown to increase yields when grown on Florida’s sand soils.
One of the key trends in product development for 2009 will be natural additives able to keep consumers active, leading to searches for alternatives to caffeine and sugar, according to market research.
An article published in the British Medical Journal today has dismissed the commonly held belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children as a ‘medical myth’.
The rebuilding of Imperial Sugar’s Port Wentworth refinery following an explosion in February is expected to total $200m-$220m, taking its toll on the company’s full year results, despite stronger sugar prices.
Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced that it has reached an agreement with Ebro Puleva for the acquisition of its Spanish sugar business, Azucarera Ebro, for €385 million.
Researchers at Princeton University claim that they have laid down the final pieces of evidence necessary to prove the existence of sugar addiction in animal studies.
Troubles for West African cocoa supplies look set to continue following reports that the harmattan, a harsh, crop-damaging wind, has begun to sweep in from the Sahara.
Cocoa prices have proved resilient in the economic downturn, even as other commodity prices have slumped, and confectionery manufacturers are concerned that tight supply will keep prices high for some time yet.
Associated British Foods has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Ebro Puleva’s sugar business for €385m – a deal that would further fortify the world’s second biggest sugar firm.
The daily consumption of 17 grams of ACTICOA dark chocolate, containing 500 milligrams (mg) of cocoa flavanols, for two weeks helps to maintain healthy blood pressure, according to new research presented at Health Ingredients Europe (HIE) 2008 Show in...
Efforts this month under the sustainability mantle by leading pod-to-pallet cocoa player Barry Callebaut include a 250,000 tree-planting project in Tanzania, and a tripling of grindings in Ivory Coast.
With sustainability a buzz word for today's confectionery makers, a symposium that kicked off in Ghana today will attempt to get to grips with current issues impacting sustainability in Africa's cocoa supply chain.
The Imperial Sugar Company says it has entered discussions with joint venture group the Louisiana Sugar Refinery (LSR) over joining forces to construct and operate a new refinery in the US.
ADM has this week opened its new cocoa processing plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, a project it began in 2006 in a bid to expand and cater to growing demand for cocoa and chocolate materials from manufacturers.
Costs for cocoa have fallen from a peak of $3000 per tonne in July, to $2551.33 on Monday, but reports of the damaging black pod disease in Ivory Coast could drive prices upwards, compounded by political uncertainty that may see chocolate buyers eager...
Confectioners may seek to develop new formulations that use cocoa powder and baking chocolate, as new evidence suggests these two chocolate foods deliver the highest levels of the health-busting antioxidant resveratrol.
Cocobod, the cocoa regulator for Ghana, has raised the fixed price it pays to farmers, a move that may not directly impact cocoa processors and buyers but could ultimately result in upward pressure on prices.
The owner of the confectionary company Chocolove has joined an expert taste panel to identify the unique flavors of different cocoa plants as part of a preservation project which could see old varieties of cocoa re-introduced to the market.
Confectionery manufacturers are facing increasing cost pressures as cocoa prices reach their highest in over 20 years as cocoa futures prices soared by 3 per cent.
The high price of cocoa butter has led to greater demand for AAK’s cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) from specialty vegetable oils, and in turn has yielded strong growth in its confectionery fat business area.
Focusing further on cocoa bean sourcing and processing, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut spins-off Chococam, the last of its consumer activities in Africa, to South African food firm Tiger Brands.
Cocoa supplies in Ghana, the world's second largest producer of beans, are being hit by smugglers taking the valuable beans abroad as prices crash through the $3000 barrier.
Strategies for confectionery makers to absorb rocketing price rises
are essential as cocoa prices crash through the $3000 barrier, with
demand outstripping supplies and pulling the stocks-to-grindings
ratio to a 22-year low.
Danisco has announced that it will sell its sugar division to
Nordzucker for DKK5600m, around €751m, bringing to an end months of
speculation as to whether it would agree to a sale or opt to spin
off sugar into a separate business.
UK sweetener group Tate & Lyle reduces risk to earnings from
today's volatile commodity markets, announcing the sale of its
international sugar trading operations to US oilseed giant Bunge.
There is a growing demand for cocoa from Latin America to meet the
increasing popularity of premium chocolates in Europe and the US,
according to a speaker at the recent meeting of the World Cocoa
Foundation (WCF) in Ecuador.
French sugar and food solutions company Tereos has confirmed it is
hoping to acquire Danisco's sugar business, and that it is bidding
against Germany's Nordzucker.
Latest figures from the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
suggest that there will be a rise in world production of cocoa
compared to last year and a rise, though smaller, in world
grindings.
Some food and beverage manufacturers may switch from high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) to sugar as a result of high corn prices, but
this is only likely to be the case for relatively small scale
users, according to a consultant.
The Imperial Sugar Co today said it will rebuild the parts of its
Georgia sugar refinery that were damaged in last year's explosion,
reinstating it as the second largest refinery in the US.
Alkalising cocoa beans reduces the total flavanoid content by
two-thirds, reducing the antioxidant potential of the product,
according to new research.
