Natural Colors & Flavors

Pic: Swerve

Sugar reduction special

Monk Fruit and allulose-centered products set to be key drivers of innovation

By Anthony Myers

Swerve, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of zero-sugar, keto-friendly, and plant-based sweeteners, is at the forefront of the sugar-free baking trend. The company’s innovation and expansion into monk fruit and allulose sweetener offerings,...

Approximately 70% of the cacaofruit was previously discarded.  Pic: Cabosse Naturals

Ingredients

New breakthrough in cacaofruit reduces refined sugar in confectionery

By Anthony Myers

Cabosse Naturals, established by Barry Callebaut to unlock the potential of the entire cacaofruit, has launched a ‘free-flowing, 100% pure cacaofruit powder’, a new ingredient that can replace refined sugar in food manufacture, which also caters to growing...

NOMO's vegan-friendly Easter chocolate proved popular with consumers. Pic: NOMO

Free From

NOMO cleans up at Free From Food Awards

By Anthony Myers

Top UK vegan and free from chocolate brand, NOMO, has announced it has won four major accolades at the Free From Food Awards including being named the Large Independent Brand of the Year 2023.

Plant-based ice cream market grows as formulation challenges persist

Plant-based ice cream market grows as formulation challenges persist

By Ryan Daily

As the plant-based ice cream market expands with a range of flavors and formats, innovation in the space will need to better recreate the taste, texture, and mouthfeel of animal-based counterparts to entice consumers into the category, Christine Usmen,...

Image: Getty/Yagi Studio

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Let them eat plant-based cake

By Oliver Morrison

Why is the dairy industry embroiling in a silly battle about the labelling of plant-based alternatives?

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.

GettyImages/ChayTee

Plant-based sector braces for ‘a rough’ 24 months

By Oliver Morrison

The plant-based sector remains an enormous long-term growth opportunity, though investor retrenchment will continue in the short term, investors told the recent Plant-Based Protein Manufacturing Summit in Amsterdam.

 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.

Plant-based is a rapidly growing market. Source: ChayTee/Getty Images

‘What is naturalness?’ The future of plant-based food

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based is one of the most important trends in the food industry today. Meat- and dairy-free products are helping provide food alternatives to an ever-growing flexitarian market. But some questions still remain. For one, since many plant-based foods...

Pic: Guittard Chocolate

Free-from

Guittard Chocolates boosts its dairy-free and kosher lines

By Anthony Myers

Guittard Chocolate Company has announced its dairy-free kosher pareve processing capabilities and its new dairy-free product line, which will include three retail baking chips - Semisweet Chocolate Chips, Extra Dark Chocolate Chips, Akoma Organic Extra...

Hershey takes plant-based mainstream with alternatives of two classics. Pic: CN

NPD

Hershey launches plant-based milk chocolate into mainstream

By Anthony Myers

The Hershey Company has released dairy-free alternatives for two of its most iconic brands with Reese’s plant-based peanut butter cups going on sale this month, making it the first vegan chocolates sold nationally, followed by Hershey’s plant-based extra...

Raw cacao pioneers Lovechock has a new owner. Pic: Lovechock

M&As

Lovechock eyes expansion after company takeover

By Anthony Myers

Lovechock, the Dutch raw cacao company, has been acquired by Belgian family-owned company Pauwels Engineering NV, the two parties have announced in a statement.

Läderach's new vegan range is in stores. Pic: Läderach

Free-from

Läderach launches luxury vegan range chocolate

By Anthony Myers

Premium Swiss chocolatier Läderach has launched a new vegan range that is now available in its three London outlets including a flagship store on Regent Street, Westfield Centre in Shepherd’s Bush and also Harrods’ Chocolate Hall.

'Improvements in the taste of stevia have come a long way'. Pic: HOWTIAN

Sugar reduction special edition

How natural sweeteners became a gamechanger for confectionery

By Anthony Myers

Consumers are trying to reduce or avoid sugar, and the demand for low or no sugar alternatives is rising in 2022 for the growing health-conscious public, with research suggesting more than 60% of US consumers wish there were healthier chocolate options...

Luker Chocolates' new natural sweetener range. Pic: Luke Chocolate

‘Better-for-you’

Luker Chocolate launches new sweetener range

By Anthony Myers

Luker Chocolate, the family-owned, Colombian chocolate manufacturer, has developed a new range of covertures that includes erythritol & stevia, which it says is being driven by an increase in consumer and client demand.