Taza Chocolate has never conched its cocoa beans since it started 10 years ago in Somerville, Massachusetts, as the company believes stone grinding is the best way to reduce bitterness of dark chocolate.
A slim majority of British consumers are prepared to change their diets to help reduce the impacts of climate change, but few would ever switch to vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan diets.
Reporting effective approaches to tackle deep-rooted poverty and child labor in the cocoa sector should take precedence over shock headlines, writes ConfectioneryNews’ editor.
Cocoa farmers in the top producing country Côte D’Ivoire earn around 91 US cents (CFA 568) per day, according to a study by Barry Callebaut and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Acacia gum is 100% natural, non-GMO, organic, gluten-free and applicable in almost every area of the food industry. Why does it have a chequered past, and how can it obtain the clean-label credentials it wants?
Cargill has begun trialing the International Cocoa Initiative’s (ICI) child labor monitoring and remediation system in cocoa growing communities in Côte D’Ivoire.
M&Ms maker Mars has announced it will invest $900m in its US supply chain in addition to the recent $1bn investment aimed at boosting its domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Belorussian confectioner Kommunarka is reusing its ‘sweet water’ - water used to rinse production lines which contains traces of sugar and sweeteners - to make fruit fillings for its chocolates, opening up a whole new business plan, it says.
The Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) programme is aiming to bring private and public sector together to achieve the UN's sustainable development goals for 2030, an achievement that could bring over €2 trillion to the food industry.
European cocoa processing volumes declined in the fourth quarter after processor Euromar became insolvent; the global cocoa market is also expected to enter a supply surplus.
Barry Callebaut has confirmed it will buy 95% of its corrugated carton boxes as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Region.
A new report by industry giant Unilever shows that consumers' belief in the social or environmental welfare of brands hugely affects their purchasing decisions.
Confectionery manufacturers can expect an increased supply of sugar at reduced prices once the European Union lifts sugar production quotas later this year.
Bio-sourced chemicals producer Anellotech hopes to use its bio-polyethylene made from inedible sources to help confectioners reduce their carbon footprint to fight global warming.
CEOs of organic candy and snack brands, including Pure Growth Organic, iWon Organics and Torie & Howard, have voiced their opinions on whether hydroponically-grown foods should be certified as organic.
An independent think tank, IPES, has been set up to advise the EU and work towards creating a common food policy that would create a sustainable, healthy and profitable food system – a ‘plan B’ to the failures of the current framework.
Cocoa industry insider, Marc Donaldson, voiced that approximately $2bn investment in cocoa sustainability over the past 10 years has achieved “so little.” He suggested consumers should take the sustainability issue on themselves instead of pushing the...
Back in 2014 I interviewed Hans Jöhr, who at the time was corporate head of agriculture at Nestlé. We had a (refreshingly) open discussion about certification schemes. Some of them are “cheating consumers” and “cannot help farmers be better farmers per...
Interview with counsel for six alleged child slaves
A lawyer representing six alleged child slaves working in cocoa in a class action against Nestlé, ADM and Cargill says the ramifications of the case on the chocolate industry could be huge.
The World Cocoa Farmers Organization (WCFO) and The International CoCoa Farmers Organization (ICCFO) have merged and are urging the cocoa and chocolate industry to support efforts to group farmers to ensure traceability.
Many consumers struggle to tell the difference between cocoa certification program labels like Fairtrade and company own labels, such as Nestlé’s Cocoa Plan, but all agree social responsibility should be a priority for chocolate makers.
State-inspired chocolate maker Pinellas Chocolate Company has opened its first retail store in Largo, Florida, where customers can sample its products and witness how bean-to-bar chocolate is made.
Ferrero has terminated all relations with subcontractors Prolegis in Romania after allegations children had been working long hours for low pay to produce toys for Kinder Eggs.
Barry Callebaut has pledged to bring 500,000 cocoa farmers out of extreme poverty and eradicate child labor in its supply chain under an initiative to source fully sustainable cocoa by 2025.
The Swiss buy more fair trade foods than Germans, but it’s not just because there are more products available to them: they’re also “more ethically convinced” by these products, researchers have found.
Calls for mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) are growing louder in Europe and supporters say it will restore trust, provide transparency and help consumers support local producers if they wish. But one political scientist sees it as "a...
Mondelēz International has partnered with Fairtrade to grow the chocolate maker’s own program Cocoa Life to cover all Cadbury products in the UK & Ireland.
Eight-minute podcast: Fairtrade’s new cocoa director
Fairtrade International plans next year to review its minimum price and premium for certified cocoa against a study measuring the drivers of income for farmers.
New commitments to tackle deforestation in commodity supply chains have almost doubled in the past 12 months, but pledges remain “piecemeal” with very few companies looking beyond palm oil, according to a recent analysis.
Chocolate companies are coming under increasing scrutiny to publish third-party verified impacts on cocoa sustainability efforts, including taxes paid in origin countries.
Mondelēz International, Mars, Nestlé and Barry Callebaut have joined forces on a community development and education program in Côte d’Ivoire in partnership with the Jacobs Foundation.
Yield increases must be coupled with agricultural reforms in origin countries and stronger financing packages to bring cocoa farmers out of poverty, according to the World Cocoa Foundation’s new president.
The Netherlands is expected to have overtaken Côte d'Ivoire as the leading cocoa processor for the 2015/16 cocoa season, as Europe's cocoa grind reaches a five-year high.
Theo Chocolate says one of the greatest challenges it faces as a company committed to a responsible and transparent supply chain is “greenwashing” in the premium chocolate category.
Startup couverture supplier Sambirano Valley Chocolat has opened a chocolate technology center in Canada and has plans for its own cocoa plantation in Madagascar.
Introducing more cocoa farming to Madagascar is key for a sustainable vanilla market, say Barry Callebaut and Prova on the launch of their new partnership.
