Sectors

Christine McGrath announced as new WCF chair. Pic: Mondelēz International

Appointments

Christine McGrath takes over from Boone as new WCF Chair

By Anthony Myers

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced Christine McGrath, SVP and Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer at Mondelēz International, as its new chair, along with two new board officers.

Pic: NOMO

Plant-based special

NOMO unleashes vegan cookie dough bar

By Anthony Myers

Vegan & free from chocolate brand NOMO has launched its ‘biggest chocolate bar yet’ with the arrival of the chunky Cookie Dough block.

Pic: H!P

Plant-based special

H!P Chocolate launches Crunchy Orange Bar

By Anthony Myers

Plant-powered confectionery brand H!P has released its latest offering - a Crunchy Orange bar - that ticks all the boxes for conscious consumers … smooth, creamy oat m!lk chocolate combined with zesty orange and crunchy waffle cone pieces.

Pic: GettyImages

Plant-based special

What next for plant-based confectionery?

By Anthony Myers

With new inventions and innovations coming thick and fast, the plant-based confectionery category is increasingly shifting into the mainstream market with big brands like Mars entering the space in the past couple of years.

The two West African countries produce over 60% of the world's cocoa Pic: Getty Images

Commodities

Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana await approval for IMF loans

By Anthony Myers

Both countries’ economies have been ‘hit hard by the triple shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, global financial tightening, and adverse spillovers from Russia’s war in Ukraine’.

Sweet Victory chewing gum. Source: Sweet Victory

Gum helps combat sugar cravings with 'sugar destroyer' ingredient

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Israeli food-tech startup Sweet Victory has released a chewing gum designed to curb sugar cravings. A consumer study on the gum found that it enabled its users to significantly cut down on sweets, as well as lose weight. The product, which is already...

Pic: GettyImages

Commodities

US Fair Sugar coalition pushes for reform in 2023 Farm Bill

By Anthony Myers

The Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy (AFSP), a broad-based coalition advocating to modernise the outdated US sugar programme established by Congress more than 80 years ago, hosted a recent panel discussion on opportunities to reform the legislation in the...

Grupo Bimbo continues acquisition strategy despite lower Q1 profit

Grupo Bimbo continues acquisition strategy despite lower Q1 profit

By Gill Hyslop

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV acquired Natural Bakery in Winnipeg, Canada, and made a minority investment in Delaware-based Olyra Foods during its first quarter, which saw net profit down 9.4%, citing the sale of its confectionary business in the same quarter...

Naturally occurring sugars and 'free' sugars have a profoundly different effect on health. Source: Julia_Sudnitskaya/Getty Images

The difference between natural and ‘free’ sugars

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

We all know that eating fruit is better for us than eating doughnuts. One is essential to keep us healthy, the other, perhaps, nearly essential to avoid. However, both doughnuts and most fruits are high in sugar, an ingredient widely considered to lead...

Pic: NCAA

Marketing

Hershey to continue with NCAA partnership

By Anthony Myers

The Hershey Company is set to remain the ‘Official Confectionery Partner’ of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after a six-year extension was agreed upon with Paramount-owned CBS and Warner Bros Discovery, which oversee the NCAA’s ‘Corporate...

 7th Heaven Chocolate's new vegan range is available in the US. Pic: 7th Heaven

NPD

Israeli vegan chocolate brand 7th Heaven launches in US

By Anthony Myers

Israel’s premier vegan chocolate brand, 7th Heaven Chocolate, has launched in the United States after two years of research & development on a formula that delivers the same creaminess as milk chocolate.

Shrinkflation-weary consumers turn to private label

Shrinkflation-weary consumers turn to private label

By Ryan Daily

Raising prices while simultaneously shrinking products to offset higher inflation could cost brands more in the long term, suggests a new survey from YouGov that found consumers turned off by shrinkflation are turning to private label.

Searches for vegan chocolate dropped in the past year, according to Ashbury

News

Demand for vegan chocolate drops this easter

By Gwen Ridler

The demand for vegan chocolate has dropped by almost a quarter (23%) year-on-year this Easter, according to research by food label consultant Ashbury.

UK shoppers can expect more new treats this Easter Pic: Getty Images

Easter 2023

Easter sees UK leading the world in chocolate innovation

By Anthony Myers

From chocolate bunnies to candy chicks, this year is set to be a bumper year for Easter treats according to new UK research from Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which claims launches of new seasonal Easter chocolate products have increased...

Peter Boone has left his post as Barry Callebaut CEO for personal reasons. Pic: Barry Callebaut

Breaking

Peter Boone resigns as Barry Callebaut CEO

By Anthony Myers

The Board of Directors has appointed Peter Feld (57, German national) as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barry Callebaut Group, with immediate effect. Feld succeeds Peter Boone who is stepping down for personal reasons.

Belcolade's new plant-based white macaron. Pic: Belcolade

Free-from

Belcolade launches ‘first of a kind’ plant-based white couverture

By Anthony Myers

Belcolade’s Selection W. Plant-Based Cacao-Trace offers chocolatiers, pâtissiers and other professional chocolate users more choice as it further expands the company’s plant-based portfolio, following the recent launch of its widely acclaimed milk-alike...

Pic: GettyImages

Sustainabilty

New ‘Scorecard’ questions chocolate companies’ sustainability efforts

By Anthony Myers

While many companies claim ‘100% sustainably sourced cocoa’ on their chocolate bars, these sustainability claims cannot be ‘ necessarily’ trusted,' according to the latest ‘Chocolate Scorecard’ that has analysed companies selling chocolate around...