As start-up food business Sweet Virtues claims to be launching the UK’s first hand-made ‘superfood’ truffles, one industry pundit questions whether confectionery with a health dimension will ever move beyond a bite-sized niche.
Mars has flagged health as a leading priority and has named Debra Sandler, former Mars Chocolate North America president, as chief health and wellness officer for the global company.
Epicatechin is the gold standard cocoa flavanol says a medical doctor, but Barry Callebaut claims all flavanols have a positive effect on cardiovascular health.
Partly replacing vegetable fats in confectionery fillings with maltodextrin gels can cut fat content and calories without impacting taste, according to research.
Food and Drink Federation (FDF) members including Mondelēz International have signed up to a 250 calorie cap on single-serve confectionery sold in the UK.
Private label gum maker Fertin Pharma says that mass-market gum makers are content with existing health claims on sugar free gum and are unconcerned about boosting the effects through added ingredients.
A polyphenol-rich cocoa extract called Lavado may reduce nerve damage in Alzheimer’s patients before they develop symptoms, according to research in mice.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is unlikely to regulate caffeine levels in confectionery products, according to caffeine chocolate firm Awake Chocolate.
As the number of overweight and obese people worldwide continues to climb, policymakers and public health officials are scratching their heads over how to stimulate healthier food choices among consumers.
The UK Department of Health hails its Responsibility Deal a success in its annual update, but reports emerge that companies have failed to meet sugar and salt targets.
The recent flurry of retail checkout confectionery bans, joined last month by retail giant Tesco, could hurt impulse-driven sales, but present high margin opportunities to supermarkets, according to Euromonitor analysts.
Wrigley has introduced Extra Professional Mints containing stevia rebaudiana across Europe, marking the first time it has used stevia in a product globally.
Cocoa polyphenols can suppress oxidative stress that provokes the proliferation of cancerous cells in the colon, according to a study published in the book Cancer: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants.
Candy industry experts report confectionery sales are faring better than figures in other retail food markets, with US shoppers snapping up nearly $34bn worth of sweet treats annually.
Confectionery manufacturers showing their latest products offer a glimpse of current and upcoming industry trends, including hot ingredients, growing categories, and standout packaging.
When it comes to cognitive health products, women look for emotional ‘brain food’, while men look for caffeine sources, according to a survey of German students.
Functional confectionery has made only small gains since approval of Barry Callebaut’s cocoa flavanol health claim but opportunities exist for premiumized chocolate products, says a Euromonitor analyst.
Testing the consumer liking of a new product may be an overrated idea that ‘breeds mediocrity’ and means products fail to differentiate themselves against the competition, according to David Howlett of MMR Research.
People perceive foods that are hard to have fewer calories than soft equivalents, according to new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
About 50% of our preference for sweet food and drinks can be attributed to genetics, about the same level of heritability as certain personality traits and asthma, according to a food sensory scientist.
ConfectioneryNews will be chairing a debate on the latest developments in cocoa flavanol science and the potential for better-for-you chocolate at nutraceutical trade show Vitafoods next month.
What is the future of food? Simple communication of complex advances will be crucial, as well as picking up the pace amid a global population boom to feed the world nutritiously and sustainably, according to FoodNavigator and NutraIngredients senior editors.
More research is required before the World Health Organization (WHO) cuts its guidance on daily sugar intake by half, according to the Association of Chocolate, Biscuits and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO).
Researchers believe a class of compounds found in cocoa known as oligomers may prevent weight gain and reduce diabetes risk, but the lead author says it is too soon to draw a link with dark chocolate.
Jelly Belly has added protein recovery malt balls to its Sports Beans range as the functional confectionery brand gains distribution in mainstream retail.
Japanese researchers claim that chewing gum for over 10 minutes can reduce stress, adding to a growing body of science linking gum chewing to stress relief.
Single-serve packages may help overweight people cut food consumption, says a researcher who claims limited research has been done on its relation to pack size.
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has earmarked consumer education on calories and sugar as an industry priority for 2014 but admits there is skepticism about industry-funded research.
Sugar has been linked to everything from heart disease to obesity and cancers in recent months. But is it as bad as all that? Our free-to-attend debate aims to tackle the key questions in the sugar debate. Have you registered yet?
A sweetener produced by isolating agavins from the tequila producing agave plant could offer blood sugar benefits to people with type 2 diabetes and offer weight loss hope to obese people, say researchers.
