3D chocolate printing is not yet quick enough for industrial production, but chocolate molds created using the technology can produce surfaces with intricate detail, says Lehrmitt Design Studios.
Manufacturers who previously relied on sealed aluminum foil or flow pack for chocolate bars can now use OPP hermetically folded and sealed die-fold packaging, according to Sapal, a Bosch Packaging Technology company.
Budelpack Poortvliet is installing a Bosch vertical form-fill-seal machine (vffs) to package loose items such as chocolates, confectionery, nuts and snacks, to start operations in January 2015.
Clearfleau has built an on-site industrial anaerobic digestion (AD) plant at Nestlé's Fawdon confectionery factory, near Newcastle in the UK, which makes gums, pastilles and Rolo chocolates.
Special Edition: Cost effective confectionery processing
Manufacturers can take control of chocolate flavor development by milling cocoa nibs themselves, but without the extra expense of roasting and winnowing of cocoa, according to equipment supplier Netzsch.
Special Edition: Cost effective confectionery processing
A gap in the market exists for smaller premium confectioners, but they must buy scalable processing equipment that caters to current volumes and not anticipated market demand, says Carle&Montanari-OPM.
Baker Perkins is urging manufacturers of functional confections to ditch starch-based molding because the method will not meet future hygiene standards.
Mondelēz International third-quarter earnings fell 11% compared to last year due to disputes with French retailers over wholesale pricing changes and 'soft' developed market demand.
Sonoco has completed its $360m acquisition of Weidenhammer Packaging Group (WPG), a European provider of composite cans, drums and rigid plastic containers.
Equipment supplier Carle&Montanari-OPM has opened a Latin America office to capitalize on rising demand as Brazilian confectionery move to automated secondary packaging equipment.
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.
Nestlé’s R&D arm Nestec has filed a patent for inkjet printing on panned confections such as Smarties chocolate and biscuits using only ingredients it claims consumers would be familiar with.
Inspection system features like reject confirmation systems and locked reject bins can help confectionery manufacturers stay abreast of the exacting safety demands of big retailers, says Mettler-Toledo.
Mars has filed a patent for ‘multi-texture’ caramel products, using a method that prevents moisture migration from caramel to crispy components without the need for a fat-based moisture barrier.
More small-scale confectionery companies are using pick and place robots to package delicate products as technology becomes more affordable, according to PWR Pack.
Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe) has invested in a €300,000 Yamato multihead check weigher, which can operate up to 100 bags per minute, to meet increasing demand for inclusions in products such as ice cream, desserts, cookies and donuts.
Africa’s chocolate market remains a little behind but Asia and South America are booming, and each market needs to be approached differently, says the executive director of Sollich.
Natra and Grupo Bimbo are just some of the firms who have shown interest in the FR500 flow pack wrapper designed specifically for the bakery, confectionery and chocolate industry by ULMA Packaging.
Bosch Packaging Technology has launched a biscuit packaging line, which it claims is the first of its kind, capable of fast slug to pile changeovers, and vice versa, with the same feeding components.
LHT Consultancy and Eagle Vision have developed a system that can help gummie manufacturers save upwards of $50,000 a year by detecting problems on starch molding lines.
A new conching process called coarse conching will make it more affordable for smaller chocolate companies to produce their own chocolate mass, according to researchers.
Easter egg manufacturer Kinnerton Confectionery has boosted production by simplifying production line processes in partnership with industrial solutions provider Siemens Industry.
Special Edition: Consumer friendly confectionery packaging unwrapped
Ecom and Armajaro maintain they did not fail to pay farmers for certified cocoa beans as Ecom’s trading license is suspended and a media hotchpotch of leaked documents and official positions ensues.
Petra Foods reported group net profits down 20.6% from the previous year following the divestment of its cocoa ingredients business to Barry Callebaut, but say own brand sales are up 12.6%.
Lightweighting and the move to shelf-ready packaging can be more sustainable, but also exposes delicate products such as biscuits to damage and any savings may be outweighed by extra pallet and shrink-wrap costs, writes Jane Gorick.
Biscuit and snack producer Burton’s Biscuit Company has installed equipment at its Llantarnam factory in Wales to make the chocolate cream for a ‘Choccie Dodger’ version of its iconic ‘Jammie Dodger’.
Family-owned confectionery maker Sánchez Cano, which manufactures gummi’s, marshmallows, liquorice, candy and bubble gum, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Special Edition - Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
Choosing equipment that allows you to access critical areas for inspection is essential to limiting water use during production, but some processes are better suited to a wet wash, says equipment supplier Sollich.
Special Edition: Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
Retailers are piling the pressure on confectioners to swap paper records for quicker mobile scanning technology to trace the source of raw ingredients, protecting them in the event of a recall, according to computing firm Intermec.
Equipment supplier Carle&Montanari-OPM has spotted a rise in the use of retail-ready packaging among confectionery firms in the US and claims picker cell robots allow great flexibility to pack pre-merchandized chocolate and candy.
Bosch Packaging Technology claims that flexibility is crucial for smaller businesses as it launches two new bagging machines at Pack Expo designed for smaller confectioners looking for quick and easy changeovers between products.
Booming demand from the growing middle classes in emerging markets mean confectionery industry investments in processing and packaging equipment will grow 4% to 5% annually, according to a report by processing and packaging association PMMI.
As we approach the first year anniversary of the launch of Mondelēz International, ConfectioneryNews peers into the chocolate box of the young confectionery titan.
French chocolatier Jacquot has installed two new CJ400 printers from Linx Printing Technologies as it replaces printers across its factory in Troyes, France.
