The European sugar confectionery market is forecast to decline in the next few years as regulators and consumers consider the impact of sugar on public health, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan.
A Mars-backed study has provided further evidence that high cocoa flavanol consumption may help improve cognitive function, possibly through changes to insulin sensitivity.
The Malaysian government says it is assessing what action it should take to address ‘no palm oil’ labels in France and Belgium, the legal grounds for which have come under scrutiny.
High-protein cookies will continue to soar in the mass market, says the president of Lenny & Larry’s as the company plans more US roll-outs in mass stores.
Special Edition: Cutting calories in confectionery
Chocolate makers must completely replace sugar and reduce fat content to a legal minimum to be able to make a ‘light in calories’ claim in the EU, according to Barry Callebaut.
Special edition: Cutting calories in confectionery
Manufacturers can create reduced or no sugar hard and soft candy product extensions without the risk of changing the taste of a proven seller through reformulation, according to Cargill.
Most Americans believe knowing how much added sugar is in a food would be helpful, according to a recent study that contradicts food manufacturers’ concerns that a proposal to differentiate added and naturally occurring sugar on the Nutrition Facts label...
Baker Perkins is urging manufacturers of functional confections to ditch starch-based molding because the method will not meet future hygiene standards.
Consumers underestimate calorie counts for, and consume more of, foods from companies with positive corporate responsibility programmes, say researchers.
Protein fortification continues to be a hot topic, with high protein forms of shakes and other beverages, nutrition bars, cereals and other foods crowding the market. Now startup company Rap Protein LLC has expanded the idea into a new area with the...
Seattle-based Theo Chocolate has launched the first functional ingredient from its subsidiary Theo Innovations. Called Violetamine, the product is an extract of cocoa high in polyphenols and theobromine.
The rising tide of food intolerances and allergic reactions bodes well for Pascha Chocolate, a brand that is founded on an allergen-free positioning. But co-founder Courtenay Vuchnich said the real message is purity, with allergen-free coming along for...
Hungary’s confectionery association Hunbisco says that the national tax on sugar puts a financial strain on confectioners to explore sugar alternatives.
Tate & Lyle used the recent Food Ingredients-Asia trade event in Jakarta as a springboard for its mounting ambitions in the country of 250 million people as well as other parts of Asia. Fibre and low-calorie sweeteners for weight control were a big...
The confectionery market is poised to welcome a host of energy drink manufacturers looking to differentiate their brands with energy gum and candy, says an analyst at Datamonitor.
A Mars-supported study suggests that cocoa flavanols in a functional drink may reverse age-related memory decline, but the same effect may not be true in chocolate.
The natural sweeteners market has continued to grow as consumers seek to cut both sugar and artificial sweeteners from their diets – but it still has a long way to go to catch up with more established sweeteners.
Dairy and bakery businesses are expected to benefit from a change in the EU’s sugar policy, which would considerably boost isoglucose production, according to a leading industry analyst.
Flow cytometry – a laser-based cell sensor system – is almost twice as accurate at measuring probiotic levels in chocolate when compared to traditional methods, according to research.
Stevia chocolate is beginning to gain momentum in the US but could take at least a decade to achieve widespread acceptance among mainstream retail, according to stevia chocolate firm Coco Polo
All new UK government policies should be considered in the context of rising obesity rates in an effort to reverse the trend, urges a report from independent think tank 2020health.
Special edition: Inside Europe's food supplement markets
A population-level analysis of polyphenol intakes in Poland has revealed that coffee, tea and chocolate contribute around 75% of the polyphenols consumed in the country.
British Sugar owner AB Sugar is fighting back against anti-sugar campaigners with the launch of a campaign informing people about sugar’s role in a healthy balanced diet.
A study says regular dark chocolate consumption raises children's exposure to cadmium but they would have to eat over 100 regular sized bars a month to exceed health guidelines.
Biotec firm Lycotec has submitted a dossier to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to gain a health claim for its L-tug ingredient, which it claims can be added to chocolate to reduce cholesterol.
The National Confectioners Association is concerned that added sugar declarations on the Nutrition Facts Panel would force confectioners to give away recipe “trade secrets”.
Research on mice has added to a growing body of evidence that cocoa improves metabolism, but it is too soon to suggest that chocolate fights obesity, according to the lead researcher.
A formula using stevia leaves and peppermint gives a fully natural-sweetened chocolate that has a similar taste and mouthfeel to a sugar counterpart but with 44% fewer calories, according to research.
Mars in 2012 wrote to the UK’s Department of Health to express concern over the potential impact on branding and intellectual property rights should tobacco plain packaging policy be extended to food – something the Institute of Economic Affairs said...
Neocandenatone, a purple pigment found in the heartwood of Dalbergia congestiflora trees, could hold colorant possibilities for gummy and hard candies, according to Mexican research.
Just a week after Mexico banned commercials for soda, snacks and confectionery products during cinema showings of children’s movies and during children’s TV programming, Mexican authorities say ads for Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Hershey´s and Holanda products...
The biggest players in the industry are already exploring ways to reduce bitterness and to up cocoa content in chocolate with MycoTechnology’s mushroom myceliation process, says the company’s founder.
‘Neuroprotective effects’ and ‘improved metabolism’ could be the next health claims for cocoa and dark chocolate after Barry Callebaut’s heart health win, according to a medical doctor.
The impulse checkout channel may be under further threat after a survey revealed a third of consumers in New Zealand supported candy-free checkout zones.
The rising trend for raw chocolate may present a health hazard to consumers unless adequate steps to eliminate Salmonella are taken, says the US National Confectioners Association (NCA).
Barry Callebaut says that high flavanol milk chocolate would be too expensive, but is hopeful that its blood flow health claim for dark chocolate will galvanize the functional chocolate market.
