Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Cargill: ‘Technology is moving us closer towards maximum transparency and traceability’

27-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

US agri-food giant Cargill is looking to solutions such as mobile money, GPS mapping and digital data collection to improve transparency in its cocoa supply chains in Africa and elsewhere.

Reaching the ‘left behind’: Systemic solutions needed to tackle farmer poverty in cocoa

22-May-2020 By Katy Askew

A new report from the Fairtrade Foundation and Mondelez International highlights that cocoa sustainability initiatives are failing to reach a significant proportion of cocoa farmers. FoodNavigator speaks to Cathy Pieters, director of Mondelez’s Cocoa...

How are smallholder farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? Olam weighs in

14-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Smallholder farmers in Africa are particularly at risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Julie Greene, VP, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at agri-food giant Olam.

Beyond sugar and salt reformulation: The case for ‘positive nutrition’ targets to help curb obesity

13-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Implementing ‘positive nutrition’ policies – to increase the amount of whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and vegetables in our diet – could help the UK combat childhood obesity, argue experts.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Barry Callebaut distributes soap to Unilever’s cocoa farmer cooperatives

06-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Cocoa producer Barry Callebaut is delivering 10,000 pieces of soap to customer Unilever’s cocoa farmer cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire.

Ingredion launches polyol sweetener to tap health-conscious trend

04-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredion EMEA has launched its first polyol sweetener -- ERYSTA Erythritol – to enable manufacturers to reduce or replace sugar to achieve nutrition-related claims, such as ‘no added sugar’ or ‘calorie-reduced’, in multiple applications.

Mars patents heat-resistant chocolate that maintains taste and shape in hot climates

30-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Mars, Inc. has developed a packaged heat-resistant chocolate it says maintains taste, mouthfeel, and shape during transportation and handling in hot climates.

How chocolate ‘fingerprints’ could help prove sustainability claims

27-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Scientists are analysing cocoa’s chemical ‘fingerprint’ to determine in which country it was produced. In the future, the technology could have the potential to confirm chocolate label claims, say researchers.

Making sweet food taste sweeter: Could coffee hold the key to sugar reformulation?

23-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of Denmark reveals that drinking coffee changes our sense of taste, making sweet foods even sweeter. Could these findings help inform sugar reformulation strategies?

Sustainability

Fairtrade Prices boost cocoa farmers’ income by $15m in fourth quarter

14-Apr-2020 By Anthony Myers

Fairtrade International has announced sales of Fairtrade certified cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased farmers’ earnings by approximately $15.1m compared to non-Fairtrade cocoa.

McVitie’s hails sugar reformulation ‘breakthrough’

03-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

McVitie’s is reducing sugar in nine of its best-selling UK biscuits by up to 10%, in what it calls a breakthrough in sugar reduction that doesn’t compromise taste.

Olam clashes with NGO over palm oil zero deforestation pledges: ‘We strongly refute the factually inaccurate and false allegations’

02-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Olam International has opposed the World Rainforest Movement’s claims the agri-food giant is taking advantage of ‘loopholes’ in its zero deforestation commitments in Gabon.

Sustainability

Mondelēz meets target to map 100% of its farms registered with Cocoa Life in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia, new report claims

26-Mar-2020 By Anthony Myers

Company releases new Cocoa Life report on actions to scale up forest protection in cocoa growing areas, address climate change and reduce emissions.

From indirect supply to reforestation: The challenges and opportunities to halt cocoa deforestation

06-Mar-2020 By Katy Askew

Cocoa production continues to drive deforestation. While the chocolate industry has largely lined up behind zero deforestation commitments, the complexities of indirect supply chains remain a significant challenge.

Chocolate brands deny ‘marketing timidity’ of reduced sugar variants

21-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé have insisted they are committed to their sugar-reduced items following accusations they do not back healthier versions of products with the necessary marketing spend.