Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Mondelēz International snaps up stake in 'healthier' doughnut brand

01-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Mondelēz International has backed a fresh doughnut and pastry business that boasts custom-designed and patented air frying technology that significantly reduces sugar, fat and calories.

Consumers are rejecting fat-free foods and beverages – what does this mean for manufacturers?

01-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Reduced-fat and fat-free products were once embraced as the healthy option for consumers. So why have they fallen from favour and what does it mean for manufacturers?

EUDR: Are Unilever, Nestlé, Mars, Mondelēz & Danone ready?

30-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

As the clock ticks down three months to go until EUDR, FoodNavigator reviews how ready food and drink giants like Unilever, Mondelēz International and Danone are for the industry-shaking regulation.

Three months to EUDR – will there be a delay?

30-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The EUDR deadline is now just 91 days away. But is industry ready and will the EU be forced to delay? Here's the latest on the polarising piece of legislation.

Behind the boom: Trends driving Europe’s future ingredients market

27-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

A booming food ingredients market is feeding sector growth, with segments like carotenoids and botanicals ready for the biggest sales upticks. So, what is the current and future state of Europe’s food ingredients market?

How the sting of climate change is hurting food commodity prices

27-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Unpredictable weather patterns – sometimes too dry, sometimes too wet – are collaborating with heat and crop pests to limit yields of key commodities. Can these conditions be mitigated?

How to find ingredient and packaging suppliers

25-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Ingredients and packaging materials will form the very foundation of your brand, so getting them right is essential. Here’s how to find the right suppliers and build successful relationships.

NPD Trend Tracker: From secret sauce to musical Christmas hampers

23-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Bring in the Autumn with a range of new drinks, meals, treats and a sneak peep at Christmas food and drink NPD.

Mondelēz International buys Chinese cakes and pastries business

23-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Confectionery giant Mondelēz International has snapped up a majority stake in a Chinese cakes and pastries business to further tap the country’s $3bn bakery category.

Cargill pumps €35m into new facility that reduces cocoa use

18-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Demand to cut cocoa volumes in a turbulent market is one driver behind Cargill’s big spend on its coatings and fillings plant expansion, FoodNavigator can reveal.

How climate change is impacting food commodities

13-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

How is the food and beverage industry responding to the need to make its supply chains more sustainable? Find out at Climate Smart Food 2024.

Big Interview

Mondelēz Snackfutures’ head on staying attractive to investors

10-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

He may well be one of snacking’s most influential men. So, an audience with Mondelēz International’s Snackfutures Ventures boss, Richie Gray, could indeed be the making or breaking of a business.

Mondelēz hints cocoa cost positivity as it hikes product prices

06-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Mondelēz International bosses have cautiously signalled further cocoa pricing stability while at the same time the sweets and snacks giant prepares to push higher prices across its products.

EUDR watch: Discover the latest developments in this groundbreaking legislation

04-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The EUDR deadline is now just months away, yet many suppliers and manufacturers remain unprepared for the changes. We’re cutting through the noise to bring you the latest on this complex new law.

The 'carnivore' diet trend: what is it and can it be profitable?

29-Aug-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The increasingly popular carnivore diet is shaping up to be a powerful new food trend. But what is it, why has it become so popular, and what opportunities does it create for food manufacturers?

Who is Nestlé's new CEO and how will he change the business?

23-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

After Nestlé's CEO steps down, who’s next to take the reins of the Swiss multinational?

Responsible sourcing of high-risk commodities: The latest

06-Aug-2024 By Flora Southey

From palm oil to soy, cocoa to coffee, some of the industry’s most used ingredients have strong links to deforestation. How can environmental violations best be eliminated from supply chains?

Nestlé sees moderate growth despite inflationary pressures on coffee, cocoa and cost-of-living

26-Jul-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In the first half of 2024, Nestlé has seen moderate growth across categories. While the recent ‘inflationary spike’ is stabilising, its pressures on commodities and cost-of-living still loom large.

How can manufacturers prepare for the next wave of UK HFSS rules?

25-Jul-2024 By Megan Tatum

It’s a little over a year before the next set of HFSS restrictions come into force in UK stores. What should UK and European food and beverage manufacturers expect?

Gluten-free is gaining popularity and sales are quickly rising

23-Jul-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Food and beverage manufacturers are embracing the consumer trend towards going gluten-free. But just how powerful, and profitable, is it?

Why cocoa farmers don’t earn a living income

17-Jul-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Most cocoa farmers don’t earn a living income. Why not? And should they all?

How the Swiss make chocolate, but in bioreactors

10-Jul-2024 By Flora Southey

Switzerland is one of the world’s biggest consumers of chocolate and coffee, and now it’s home to a company making both – in bioreactors.

Should maize be included in EUDR?

10-Jul-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The EUDR deadline is now less than five months away. But as the 30 December date looms on the horizon, we wonder if there are commodities missing from the list, in particular, maize.

How Nestlé is making its cocoa more traceable

25-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Nestlé is striving to make its cocoa traceable right back to the farm. Can the multinational give consumers confidence they’re eating sustainable cocoa?

AI in crop development: The future is here

25-Jun-2024 By Donna Eastlake

How scientists are helping the food industry to grow crops, using AI.

‘Farmers’ organisations have not been consulted’: G7 Africa initiative comes under fire

20-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The G7 recently announced plans to address food insecurity in Africa. But to some, the initiative is simply the latest failure to take the views of smallholder farmers into account.

How brands are capitalising on gut health

20-Jun-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Gut health is proving to be hugely popular with consumers and enormously profitable for food and beverage manufacturers. In financial terms, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

What’s the biggest trend in better-for-you snacking?

19-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

What’s the one key trend in the better-for-you snacks category? We put the question to Mondelēz, Nestlé, Ferrero, and Mars.

OFI unveils first company-wide emissions targets: ‘It’s a stretch, but achievable’

18-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

For the first time, OFI is setting a company-wide sustainability strategy, including Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions targets to achieve by 2030.

Early peanut exposure reduces allergy risk by 71%

17-Jun-2024 By Donna Eastlake

As the number of peanut allergy sufferers continues to rise, scientists investigate whether early exposure is the solution.

How commodity exchanges influence food prices, and why farmers don’t always benefit from price hikes

14-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Commodity exchanges influence prices of key foods and ingredients on all levels of the supply chain. But how close is the link between the commodity exchange, and the commodity itself?

Scientists develop better-for-you chocolate, and it’s better for the planet

14-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

Healthier and more sustainable chocolate? While it sounds almost too good to be true, that’s exactly what scientists have created in Switzerland.

Do emulsifiers increase the risk of diabetes?

12-Jun-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Emulsifiers are found in a whole range of foods, including yogurts, ice creams, chocolate bars, margarines and even some breads. But could this common food additive increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

How is Ferrero balancing M&A growth with packaging sustainability?

06-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

A strong acquisition strategy is fuelling growth at Ferrero. But inevitably, with that growth comes more packaging. How is the confectionery major working to decouple the two?

Can cultivated cocoa solve the chocolate crisis? ‘It’s like cultivating meat, but simpler’

04-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

With climate change threatening the future supply of cocoa, could cellular agriculture offer a solution? Israeli start-up Kokomodo thinks it can, and is emerging from stealth mode to prove it.

Regenerative agriculture: How manufacturers and farmers are working together

31-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Regenerative agriculture has gained widespread attention in recent years as manufacturers and consumers grow to fully understand its importance. But how are farmers approaching it and what challenges are they facing?

Has the plant-based trend peaked?

30-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The plant-based trend has been on the up and up in recent years. But has it finally peaked and, if yes, can the plant-based industry do anything to prevent a decline?

Is high inflation squeezing new ingredient opportunities into sugar and confectionery?

30-May-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

As the UK’s latest inflation levels show sugar and confectionery prices remain high—a fate mirrored in Europe—F&B makers are turning to other ingredients to remain competitive at the checkouts.

Mondelēz International fined by EU for anticompetitive practices

29-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Mondelēz International has been found guilty by the EU of anticompetitive practices and given a fine. What was Mondelēz found to have done, and how did it damage competition?

Understanding the Autoimmune Protocol diet

29-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Health trends are huge at the moment, with new diets and ‘superfoods’ popping up on an almost weekly basis. Enter the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet.

Eco-friendly food colouring: How one company is cutting carbon

28-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The food industry is coming under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and find more sustainable ways to operate. Food colouring manufacturer Exberry tells us how it's cutting carbon intensity, and improving water efficiency, for greener...

Can the whole cocoa pod be utilised when making chocolate?

28-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

By developing a chocolate bar using not only the cocoa bean but the pulp and endocarp as well, a new study aims to create a more sustainable form of chocolate.

Could adding salt to food increase the risk of developing stomach cancer?

22-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and stroke are just some of the potential health risks associated with consuming too much salt. But could excessive salt consumption also lead to an increased risk of developing stomach cancer?

Six start-ups rethinking cocoa for alt choc innovation

22-May-2024 By Flora Southey

Amid soaring prices and deforestation regulations, chocolate manufacturers may well be tempted to turn their back on cocoa. What alternatives are on offer?

How are food companies responding to changes in advertising?

21-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From data to legislation, advertising is changing. This provides challenges for food companies but, with their abundance of first-hand consumer data, opportunities as well.

Are protein bars and powders damaging to gut health?

21-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

High-protein products and gut health represent two of the biggest food trends of the last decade, but is one bad for the other?

Trust in food industry declining

20-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

As consumers become increasingly engaged in understanding the contents of the foods they’re consuming, it appears that trust in the food industry is plummeting. But can that trust be restored?

Tracing hazelnuts geographical origin: Isotopic markers

17-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

With food fraud widespread, the geographical origin of hazelnuts must be traced. A new study analysed their isotopic markers to find which ones could link them back to their origin.

How Fazer makes confectionery with upcycled ingredients

16-May-2024 By Flora Southey

Finnish food group Fazer is experimenting with side streams to make confectionery production more sustainable.

Heatflation: What is it and how is it impacting the food industry?

08-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

You’ll almost certainly have heard of inflation, you may well have heard of shrinkflation, but have you heard of heatflation?