Swedish firm AarhusKarlshamm AB (AAK) has reported ‘record-high’ operating profit of SEK 471m ($58m) for Q4 2017, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.
Ferrero says it is on course to trace its entire cocoa supply to farm gate by next year, which it says will support its commitment to zero deforestation.
Barry Callebaut has expanded its protein product portfolio by launching its FortiPro brand, a chocolate coating that contains 15% to 20% protein per serving.
Sales of cocoa-based products featuring a sustainable trade and farming label, such as Fairtrade, is set to be valued at $8.9bn in 2017, Euromonitor said.
Character confectionery brand Yowie has returned to the Australia and New Zealand markets; brand owner the Yowie Group has also signed a partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Barry Callebaut has outpaced the overall global chocolate market in its full-year results as long-serving chairman Andreas Jacobs announces plans to step down.
Nugali co-founder Ivan Blumenschein discusses how packaging reflects product quality and he outlines the challenges of exporting from Brazil for the premium chocolatier.
Soaring chocolate exports have helped value sales in the Spanish confectionery sector grow 2.8% year on year in 2015, according to industry association Produlce.
Swiss startup Choba Choba, partly owned by cocoa producers, has created an ultra-premium chocolate range made using a hybrid of CCN-51 and native Peruvian cocoa.
Barry Callebaut has posted volume growth above the chocolate confectionery market in its half-year results, but net profit fell mainly due to currency fluctuations and a challenged cocoa ingredients business.
Barry Callebaut has posted increased volumes and revenue in the first quarter of financial year 2015/16 despite declines in the global chocolate confectionery market.
Lindt & Sprüngli has reported strong sales growth in the first half of the year driven by its North American business and recent Russell Stover acquisition as global chocolate markets slow or decline.
Barry Callebaut has outgrown the chocolate confectionery market in its half-year results, but its cocoa ingredients arm continues to be hampered by low cocoa ratios.
Weak fourth quarter cocoa grinds in developed markets suggest that consumers have reacted negatively to wholesale chocolate price hikes from the major brands, according to an analyst.
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.
Year-on-year Q3 EBITDA profits dipped 9.2% to €5.73m at Spanish cocoa and chocolate and specialist Natra as ongoing cocoa price hikes hit even as quarter revenues rose 5.2% to €89.93m.
Rajhans (Desai-Jain) Group has made its first foray into the confectionery industry by launching its Schmitten brand in India and it is hoping to become the domestic market leader in premium chocolate.
Cargill joins Barry Callebaut as the joint industrial chocolate powerhouse after its acquisition of ADM’s chocolate operations, but the move is risky in the volatile cocoa economy, says an analyst.
Increased interest in cocoa polyphenols helped Japanese confectioner Meiji grows sales in its latest financial results, while Petra Food and Tootsie Roll also reported sales growth in Q2.
Fire has damaged Barry Callebaut’s chocolate processing at Banbury in Oxfordshire, but the company has reassured customers that it could maintain normal levels of service by drawing on other facilities.
Lead levels in candy, chocolate and cocoa powder are too low to be considered a health concern, according to tests by Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA).
Manufacturers can increase the price of chocolate without fear of putting off consumers thus ensuring cocoa farmers are fairly paid, according to executive director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).
The rising North American cocoa grind is a positive sign for the chocolate industry, but many consumers are not prepared to pay higher prices planned by some leading confectioners, according to an analyst.
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’.
Barry Callebaut has recorded a 4.9% drop in net profit for the fiscal year 2012/13 as it integrates Petra Foods’ cocoa business and experiences capacity constraints.
France’s leading private label chocolate maker Cémoi sees little growth in the European chocolate market and hopes instead to promote its branded goods in Asia and in the developing US private label market.
Spanish chocolate major Natra will launch a nut variant of its Tiger bar countline in South Africa for retailers and said it would consider exclusivity agreements.
Natra Cocoa and Chocolate has reported flat sales in its first half results due to weak consumer spending in Europe and a blip in chocolate consumption in its growth driver Asia.
ADM Cocoa has introduced a low fat cocoa powder that it claims is well suited to nougats and other protein foam based confectionery that lose structure in the presence of fat.
The North American cocoa grind has risen 5.77% in the first of quarter (Q1) compared to last year, leading one analyst to say there is still room for growth in the US chocolate market.
Cargill plans to increase its cocoa processing capacity by 25% at its plant in Ilhéus, Brazil, to keep up with rising consumer demand for chocolate and cocoa products in the market.
