Herculean efforts are required by the global chocolate industry to
ensure that sourced cocoa supplies are not linked to exploited or
trafficked child labour, underlines labour watchdog International
Labor Rights Forum.
The wave of health and wellness comes ashore for chocolate makers,
with latest figures from Mintel showing the fresh healthier image
for dark chocolate has brought a much-need, and strident, upward
shift in sales for 2007.
Barry Callebaut today opened its first innovation center in the US
to focus on the development of new chocolate products meeting the
preferences of American consumers.
New outsourcing contracts for industrial cocoa from new and
existing chocolate makers boost volume growth for cocoa supplier
Barry Callebaut, helping to offset harmful exchange rates, energy
prices and inflation.
Cadbury is Britain's most trusted chocolate and confectionery
brand, according to a 2008 Reader's Digest survey, despite
Cadbury-Schweppes being fined £1m last year for allowing the sale
of salmonella-contaminated chocolates.
Wild is introducing a new version of its Fruit Up sweetener,
specially designed for use in fruit jelly confectionery products
and angled towards helping manufacturers tap the healthy
confectionery market.
There is a growing demand for cocoa from Latin America to meet the
increasing popularity of premium chocolates in Europe and the US,
according to a speaker at the recent meeting of the World Cocoa
Foundation (WCF) in Ecuador.
Microscale bubbles could whip up a range of long-lived, stable foam
products whilst giving formulations interesting sensory properties,
according to research published in Science.
Latest figures from the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
suggest that there will be a rise in world production of cocoa
compared to last year and a rise, though smaller, in world
grindings.
ADM Cocoa has introduced new procedures in its cocoa facilities in
the UK so as to be able to supply a new range of certified organic
chocolate to its food industry customers.
A new joint venture by DuPont and Danisco aims to develop what
could be the first large-scale non-food ethanol production, which
could lighten the pressure of biofuels on the food industry.
Confectionery makers will welcome the latest study to proffer the
potential health benefits of chocolate as US researchers report
that pregnant women who consume ample servings of this popular
confectionery may reduce the risk of...
Barry Callebaut has successfully closed its acquisition of a 60 per
cent stake in Malaysia's KLK Cocoa - a strategic move expected to
give the Swiss firm leverage to expand in the high-potential
Asia-Pacific region.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published new
labelling guidance for food manufacturers, which it hopes will help
international companies meet the nation's labeling requirements.
Alkalising cocoa beans reduces the total flavanoid content by
two-thirds, reducing the antioxidant potential of the product,
according to new research.
Gelatin producer Gelnex has announced it will launch a platform at
IFT 2008 highlighting a 100 percent traceability program it says it
has always followed, but that now more than ever needs to be
marketed.
Carob germ flour can yield an isolate with a protein content over
95 per cent and a well-balanced amino acid composition, suggesting
their potential for the alternative protein market, Spanish
researchers report.
Swiss chocolate company Barry Callebaut is to purchase a 60 per
cent share of Malaysia's KL Kepong Cocoa Products in a move
designed to increase its sourcing capacity in Asia.
Higher prices for eggs - both real ones and those made from
chocolate - are unlikely to deter US shoppers from celebrating
Easter as they always have done, according to research from
Nielsen.
Four hybrid cocoa species developed in Ghana to have improved
resistance to pest damage during storage have similar nutritional
properties to conventional cocoa, says a study that topples a
barrier to commercial trade.
Researchers from Unilever have reported breakthrough results that
proteins from fungus could produce food foams with stability that
exceeds anything currently available.
The global snack market will be worth almost $300bn (€197.8bn) by
2010, as manufacturers move towards healthier products as well as
developing markets, a new report predicts.
Collaboration with customers, cautious pricing, a simplified
structure and innovation all helped Kerry Ingredients achieve
profit increases despite soaring raw material costs.
Chocolate has come out on top as the star of the emerging mood food
category - but its future maybe under threat if companies fail to
win health claims for their products.
While most consumers agree that ethically-sourced cocoa is no bad
thing, an ever increasing number of different schemes risks
muddying the issue and puzzling chocolate fans.
An all-natural colouring derived from seaweed has put blue Smarties
back on the shelves following their removal two years ago in
response to concerns over artificial additives.
A panel of experts recommend that more countries be
recognised as fine or flavour cocoa producing countries in order to
provide new opportunities for trade.
Leatherhead Food International (LFI) intends to tap into a very
pressing technical challenge for manufacturers looking to produce
low fat foods that maintain an indulgent appeal.
Cadbury today launched a fund to aid its cocoa suppliers
in Ghana, after research suggested that average production in
the region is now 40 per cent lower than the potential yield.
Barry Callebaut reported increased sales volume for the first
quarter of this fiscal year as a result of a mounting trend for
food manufacturers to outsource their chocolate needs.
Freshness dates, nutrition facts panels and ingredients lists are
priorities for most consumers when reading product labels,
according to a new report.
AarhusKarlsmann (AKK) will face a difficult start to 2008 with
two months of delayed deliveries of it specialty fats after this
week's fire, though no raw materials were destroyed.
Sales in the UK food ingredients industry are falling on average as
a result of increased competition, both domestically and
internationally, according to a new market report by analysts
Plimsoll.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has introduced a new line of
cocoa powders aimed at improving visual appeal and flavour in dairy
and bakery products.
Unreliable organic supplies are stunting the growth of over half of
US organic food manufacturers, according to a new report by the
nation's industry association.
Taste is a key challenge for makers of healthier chocolate: Henry Hussell, head of marketing at Cargill Sweetness, takes us through some of their solutions.
Barry Callebaut has reported growth in full year 2006/7 that
outstrips the chocolate sector at large, largely driven by sales to
food manufacturers with which it has several big new deals.
EU regulators and processors say they are examining the use of diacetyl for foods, following reports of hundreds of US workers falling ill from a deadly lung disease linked to the inhalation of the popcorn flavouring chemical.
The future of research into the potential health benefits of cocoa
should focus on the mechanisms and active compounds, with well
defined clinical trials key to this burgeoning segment, says a new
review by Nestlé.
A new aerated chocolate ingredient claims to allow manufacturers of
baked and dairy goods to cut costs and calories by reducing the
total amount of chocolate in their products without affecting taste
or visual appeal.
Agricultural firm Cargill has started construction of a new cocoa
processing facility in Ghana, in an expansion move designed to meet
increasing global demand for cocoa products.
The organic food and beverage market has been predicted to surpass
$86bn (€62bn) by 2009, with consumers increasingly turning
'organic' in search of health and safety in their food products.
Swiss based Barry Callebaut will start delivering chocolate to
Hershey in North America within the next few months, following the
completion of the partnership this week.
Zurich-based chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut said today
that like-for-like sales increased 6.1 per cent in
the nine months to 31 May, despite the unstable cocoa
market.
Chocolate ingredient manufacturer Barry Callebaut has announced the
opening of its new North American head office in Chicago, which it
claims is a step towards becoming the top player in the sector.