Halloween confectionery sales are expected to grow in line with the overall market in Europe, but there are notably differences among EU countries, according to industry association Caobisco.
Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.
An analyst from Rabobank expects the European cocoa grind to pick up this year after data released today showed 2012 figures were the lowest in seven years.
There was a surprising lag in the launch of new products containing stevia in Europe last year – but look out for a sharp increase in 2013, says Euromonitor International’s head of ingredients research John Madden.
Crown Speciality Packaging is offering premium food and beverage brands in Europe easier access to a form of tin design intended to make their products stand out more.
Welsh premium private label confectioner OP Chocolate, part of the Cemoi Group, has secured a financing deal to help it move into international markets in Europe, North America and Asia.
The first nine months of this year showed a positive development for the European manufacturers of aluminium foil, according to the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA).
Asia’s cocoa grind for the third quarter has remained essentially flat compared to last year after growth in the previous two quarters, figures released yesterday show.
The European third quarter (Q3) cocoa grind has slumped 16% on the same period last year, but the statistics do not necessarily mean demand for chocolate is waning, according to an analyst.
EU and US cocoa grinds have fallen significantly in the second quarter (Q2), but one analyst puts this down to the developing Asian market eating up a greater share of global supplies.
Barry Callebaut has outshone the global chocolate market in its six month results, but profits were stunted by recent partnership-related costs and supply chain investments.
Smurfit Kappa (SK) said a £98m (€118m) investment in one of its major paper mills will both boost and secure supply of materials for its entire packaging operations in the UK and Ireland.
Barry Callebaut has acquired a 100% stake in Spanish company La Morella Nuts for an undisclosed sum as it aims to be the European leader for nut products.
Confectionery sales in Europe dwindle as new product developments (NPD) have not met consumer preferences which demands more definite health claims, according to an analyst at Mintel.
Industrial chocolate supplier, Barry Callebaut, expects a lower rate of growth for the global confectionery market next year - 1 to 2% - and warns of continued volatility in raw material prices.
Ferrero has announced plans to build a new factory in Turkey in the province of Manisa to leverage its position in a confectionery market that has grown 120% since 2004, according to figures from Mintel.
Nestlé’s sales for the nine months to the end of September rose 7.3% to reach CHF60.89bn (€49.24bn), slightly short of expectations, but its positive European performance blindsided analysts.
The global market for flexible packaging is projected to be worth more than US$71bn with worldwide consumption set for annual growth of more than 4 per cent to reach almost 22.5m tonnes by 2016, said a new report by Pira International.
The newly renamed Natural Colors Division was the star performer in Danish ingredients supplier Chr Hansen’s Q3 results, showing 34% organic sales growth for the quarter, compared to 5% for Cultures and Enzymes, and 9% for Health and Nutrition.
Barry Callebaut reports that it has resumed its exports from the Ivory Coast, following the recent resolution of the six-month long political crisis in the West African cocoa powerhouse.
Swedish company A&R Carton has acquired a controlling stake in Speciality Paperboard Containers Ltd (SP Containers) in a move that looks set to accelerate the growth of the UK paperboard firm.
All is not well down on the novel foods farm. If food innovation in Europe is to thrive anew, MEPs and the Council need to get past the recriminations over the failed talks and remove the troublesome question of cloned foods from the negotiating table.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is currently assessing the impact of an explosion that occurred on a production line at its cocoa processing facility in Wormer, Netherlands, which was followed by a short, intense fire.
Gourmet and specialty chocolate, and emerging markets, drove sales volume growth for Barry Callebaut in Q1, but Western Europe and the US are still showing mixed results.
Lightweighting, recyclability and the development of eco-packaging have been revealed as the key issues for consumers, according to an analysis of packaging trends across seven major European countries by the French trade commission.
Packaging supplier Novelis is looking to sell its printed confectionery business following the company’s plans to cease operations of its UK-based foil rolling and packaging lines by the end of April 2011.
Hershey’s plan to start selling its confectionery in the UK and Europe forms part of the company’s wider agenda to target the region, says Euromonitor.
The palletizing and automated end-of-line sector is likely to experience greater consolidation and increased strategic alliances as industry players seek to deliver greater efficiencies, says Newtec boss Didier Pradeilles.
Asian group Lotte has plans to expand the production capacity of Polish confectionery manufacturer Wedel by investing over €200m into the company, according to a Polish media outlet.
Talking from the Brau Beviale trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, Rexam executive John Revess outlined the lobbying and marketing work needed to improve the environmental image of the beverage can.
Galam Group has signed an agreement with Czech company VUC Services to develop new liquid sweetener blends, as part of its strategy to spread its reach into new European markets.
Recovery in the chocolate market is underway in the US, Brazil and China but Western Europe has been slow to rebound and Eastern Europe still shows negative growth rates, said Barry Callebaut as it released robust full year results for 2010.
Flagship brand Kit Kat has increased market shares for Nestle in the UK and Ireland, according to last week’s third quarter results that reveal a 4.1 per cent sales increase for the global food giant.
