Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Consumer appetite for unhealthy food remains strong, poll reveals: ‘This demonstrates the need for brands to innovate’

24-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Nine in 10 UK shoppers would still buy sweets or chocolate if they weren’t on offer, yet most consumers think that less fat, sugar and salt in supermarket foods is a good idea.

Givaudan helps Sweet Victory block sugar cravings in kids with ‘tutti-frutti’ gum

23-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

The Swiss flavours and fragrances company has leveraged its flavour-masking expertise to address the bitterness of Sweet Victory’s botanical-infused chewing gum for kids.

Hershey replaces milk solids with roasted grain flour for improved dairy-free chocolate

07-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

The Hershey Company has filed a patent application covering the substitution of dairy solids with roasted grain flour, which it says yields ‘improved organoleptic and rheological properties’ over known dairy-free chocolates.

R&D

Cargill opens House of Chocolate at its Mouscron site

31-May-2022 By Anthony Myers

Cargill has unveiled its new 6,200-square-metre House of Chocolate at its Mouscron site in Belgium, which will include a state-of-the-art chocolate experience centre, a unique pilot plant with sensory expertise, and creative workspace for the company’s...

UK HFSS restrictions delay met with relief and dismay

19-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

In a move which has satisfied trade bodies but disheartened health campaigners and some challenger brands, the UK government has announced a one-year delay to the proposed ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals for foods high in fat, salt or sugar.

How is Mars promoting living incomes for cocoa smallholders?

16-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Mars Inc hopes to make a positive contribution to the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers. The chocolate giant is trialling two new programmes that aim to address some of the structural issues that stand in the way of living incomes in cocoa. FoodNavigator...

How to bring smallholders on the journey to zero-deforestation food systems

12-May-2022 By Katy Askew

To combat deforestation, interventions must support both development and inclusion. Smallholders need to be brought on the journey towards zero deforestation. A new research collaboration aims to assess what programmes see most success on these dual deliverables.

West Africa

Fresh investments in Koa allow it to scale-up sustainable cocoa drive in Ghana

12-May-2022 By Anthony Myers

Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa has secured two major investments to scale up its impact in the cocoa sector by successfully completing its Series A round raising a total of $4.7 million in equity – and a $3.5 million investment from climate adaptation and...

Cacao-free ‘alt choc’ mimics the real thing, with 80% fewer CO2 emissions

11-May-2022 By Flora Southey

UK start-up WNWN Food Labs is launching what it claims to be the ‘world’s first’ cacao-free chocolate. Made from two ‘hero ingredients’ – barley and carob – we ask co-founders Arhum Pak and Dr Johnny Drain what makes their product better than the real...

Research takes aim at social media influencers peddling unhealthy products

09-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Most food and drink content posted by German influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube is so unhealthy it fails World Health Organisation (WHO) advertising standards for children, claims research from the Medical University of Vienna.

Mars exec talks innovation: 'We're at a fascinating moment, where we will be creating the next relevant portfolio for consumers'

05-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As a 100+-year-old company of some of the most well-known CPG brands, Mars Inc. sees innovation as the driving force behind the company's next chapter of growth and the key to maintaining consumer relevancy.

Regulation

MEPs write to the European Commission to beef up Cocoa Talks with an Economic Pact across the value chain

05-May-2022 By Anthony Myers

Eradicating child labour and deforestation require integrated efforts across policy sectors, they argue.

Can you design the perfect piece of chocolate? Physics has the answer

21-Apr-2022 By Katy Askew

Dutch physicists and food researchers have shown it is possible to design edible materials to ‘optimise enjoyment’ using ‘metamaterials’ constructed in the lab. Their building material of choice: chocolate.

Plastic-free chewing gum hopes to challenge 'synthetic' standards

20-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The founder of UK-based ‘super natural’ chewing gum start-up Milliways is also calling for a single-use plastic levy to make it easier for consumers to switch to a ‘more sustainable’ option.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: What’s trending in hot beverages?

22-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

From post-Arabica coffee to single-origin tea and completely traceable hot chocolate from bean to cup, what’s trending in the hot beverage category? FoodNavigator asks industry experts.

Koa ‘disrupts transparency in cocoa’ with public payments: ‘This is how supply chains need to be’

16-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

The Swiss-Ghanaian start-up, best known for its upcycling of cocoa side streams, has partnered with seedtrace and MTN Group to ‘disrupt transparency standards’ in cocoa.

Sustainability

Cargill and The Starbuck Foundation back CARE to financially support women cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire

08-Mar-2022 By Anthony Myers

CARE, a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty with a focus on working alongside women and girls, has announced a new initiative to help transform cocoa growing communities in Côte d’Ivoire.

‘The street fight has already begun’: The winners and losers as inflation bites

28-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

With prices rising faster than in decades and with wages failing to keep up, food manufacturers and retailers are vying to maintain volume, margin and growth, reveals IRI International.

Behind Nestlé’s CHF1.3bn drive to bridge the living income gap in cocoa

11-Feb-2022 By Katy Askew

Nestlé has launched an initiative that promises to help bridge the living income gap for cocoa farmers in its supply chain. With a focus on productivity, resilience, diversification and access to education the company is more than tripling its current...

Breakthrough ingredient for plant-based chocolate? Palsgaard highlights high-performing lecithin replacement

26-Jan-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based chocolate manufacturers have a new ingredient to add to their toolbox: Palsgaard AMP 4455, an emulsifier which Palsgaard claims is twice as efficient as lecithin and can reduce the amount of cocoa butter used in plant-based chocolate formulations...

Vanilla fraud exposed in France, including ‘pods dipped in vanilla flavoured aroma’

20-Jan-2022 By Flora Southey

One in four vanilla pods sampled did not comply with regulations, found government investigators.

New EU rules for deforestation-free products: Companies will be ‘monitored and held accountable’

19-Nov-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Parliament has said companies supplying products that risk contributing to deforestation will be ‘monitored and held accountable’ through new due diligence regulations. But farming groups have raised concerns that the new regulation might...

Environment

Cocoa companies extend partnership with environmental groups to restore forest in the Amazon

03-Nov-2021 By Anthony Myers

Olam food ingredients (ofi) and Mondelēz International increase efforts to help protect forests in Pará, an important cocoa-growing area in Brazil.

Mars Wrigley and SwissDeCode team up to tackle Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease

30-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Swiss agrifood testing company SwissDeCode is working with confectionery giant Mars Wrigley to find an early detection solution that can identify Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD), a virus that can devastate cocoa crops.

How Nestlé is supporting regenerative agriculture: ‘We need to source in the right way’

28-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Seventy percent of Nestlé’s emissions lie in the raw materials it sources. Agriculture is therefore central to the Swiss food giant’s target to hit net zero by 2050. Pascal Chapot, Nestlé Head of Sustainable Agriculture, discusses the challenges and opportunities...

Big food still ‘hooked’ on junk: ShareAction vows to turn up the heat on unhealthy food makers

23-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

New research reveals that 71% of UK sales at 16 of the largest food and beverage manufacturers are generated by unhealthy products. ShareAction warns that companies should expect increased investor activism on the topic.

What do consumers think about food additives? Survey

22-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Results of a new survey in Germany suggest many consumers are concerned about possible health effects associated with food additives, while at the same time expressing a lack of knowledge about such ingredients.

DouxMatok inks first commercial partnership outside of Israel for Incredo Sugar

14-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

DouxMatok has partnered with Italian ingredients company Hi-Food to commercialise its sugar-reduction offering Incredo Sugar. FoodNavigator hears from the start-up’s CEO and CTO to learn more about its B2B strategy.

Could mandatory fruit and veg sections near entrances be next?

09-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

With the UK set to roll out restrictions on unhealthy food promotions in stores next year, fresh research claims healthier supermarket layouts, including fruit and vegetables placed near store entrances, improves customers’ food choices.

Carob: A ‘super-nutritious, highly sustainable hidden gem’?

06-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Food and ag tech start-up CarobWay is working to help grow the market for carob as a ‘super-nutritious’ and ‘highly sustainable’ food ingredient.

Cargill partners with AeroFarms for indoor grown cocoa

17-Aug-2021 By Katy Askew

Commodities giant Cargill has entered a partnership with vertical farming experts AeroFarms to examine how indoor farming technologies can be used in the cocoa sector.

‘It cannot really be used with a clear conscience:’ Chocolate brand Fairafric on its decision to ditch aluminium foil for wood pulp alternative

04-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The company has switched to a compostable film made of wood pulp.

‘A new toolkit for sugar reduction’: Sweegen’s Reb M gets safety nod in Europe

19-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Commission has approved the use of Sweegen’s non-GMO Signature Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) for use in food and beverages. “We are opening the doors for product developers to explore a new toolkit for sugar reduction across all products...

What Kantar’s list of most valuable global brands tells us about food and beverage trends

24-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Kantar's latest ranking of the world's largest food and beverage brands reveals the shift in consumer behaviour towards indulgence during lockdowns.

Cabosse Naturals talks cocoa fruit innovation: ‘Upcycled foods are very relevant for consumers’

22-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Barry Callebaut brand Cabosse Naturals is launching a line of ‘next gen’ ingredients for snacks, drinks and ice cream that utilise the whole cacao fruit, while Cacao Barry, also part of Barry Callebaut, is rolling out a WholeFruit chocolate offering....

Acacia gum production funds desertification prevention in Africa: ‘We want to create concrete impact’

17-Jun-2021 By Flora Southey

French producer of acacia gum Alland & Robert has established a company foundation to help prevent desertification in Africa. “Our sole objective is to support African communities and fight the desertification of lands, droughts, or lack of access...

How UK brands are reformulating to avoid the HFSS ad ban

19-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK food brands are currently digesting planned government legislation coming next year which will prevent marketing and advertising of HFSS being shown on TV (pre-9pm) and online from 2022 and limit where these products can be placed in bricks and mortar...

What does the future hold for reformulation?

19-May-2021 By Hannah Pearse, Head of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs at IGD

With the impending publication of part two of the National Food Strategy in the UK, IGD convened major retailers, manufacturers, food service companies and members of the National Food Strategy team to discuss reformulation, the challenges, and opportunities....

Cargill acquires Leman Decoration Group for ‘fully-fledged one-stop-shop’ in gourmet decorations

07-May-2021 By Katy Askew

Cargill has acquired Leman Decoration Group in a deal that the company said represents a win-win: It will enhance Leman’s chocolate expertise and expand Cargill’s overing in the decorations space.

Nestlé shakes up confectionery production: ‘We need a more efficient manufacturing footprint’

29-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

In the UK, Nestlé says it is strengthening its business for the long-term with the proposed closure of its Fawdon site and investments in York and Halifax factories.

Upcycled cocoa fruit waste sweetens deals in confectionery, bakery and beverage

27-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

Swiss chocolatier Lindt and Italian confectioner Venchi are among the brands incorporating upcycled cocoa fruit into their products.

Nestlé sets carbon target for KitKat: ‘We are reducing and removing emissions to reach carbon neutrality by 2025’

21-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

Over the next four years, Nestlé will be working within and outside of its value chain to reduce and remove emissions related to its KitKat brand. The goal, a company spokesperson explained, is carbon neutrality.

The brittle truth about vegan Easter eggs

31-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Vegan alternatives pass the flavour test (up to a point) but are prone to shattering, according to market research.

Snack sector looks to lentils, beans and insects as ‘health by stealth’ hits limit

25-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

As the snack sector reaches its technological limits in cutting salt and fat from products, European manufacturers are accelerating reformulating efforts using lentils, beans, other vegetables -- and even insects -- as a way of meeting consumer demand...

Protein bar appeal explodes: Mondelēz buys sports nutrition brand Grenade

23-Mar-2021 By Nikki Hancocks

US-based global snacking heavyweight Mondelēz International taps into the mass appeal of protein bars as it acquires a significant majority interest in the UK's leading protein bar brand Grenade.

End the cage age: Unilever and Nestlé petition to phase out caged hens in Europe

17-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

Nestlé, Unilever and Mondelēz International are among the food majors calling for an EU-wide ‘phase out’ of caged hens in farming.

Health campaigners call for ‘honest’ labelling on so-called healthy snacks

10-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers at Action on Salt are demanding a restriction on the use of what it calls misleading nutrition claims on HFSS products after its new data revealed seemingly ‘healthy’ snacks contain often higher salt levels than crisps and flavoured nuts.

Not all processed foods should be demonised, say nutritionists

22-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

What do canned baked beans, low fat fruit yogurt, ice cream, pre-packaged sliced bread, ready-made pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals with added sugar all have in common?

Closing the loop in chocolate: Barry Callebaut collaborates on ‘ground-breaking’ process to turn hazelnut shells into vanillin

19-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Barry Callebaut has joined forces with Swiss chemistry start-up Bloom Biorenewables to investigate upcycling chocolate side streams. The first result: vanillin produced from hazelnut shells.

The future of ‘clean label’? Radically transparent and naturally healthy

17-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

‘Clean label’ is an industry term that speaks to consumer demand for recognisable ‘pantry cupboard’ ingredients. But, without a clear definition, the meaning of clean label is evolving. What other mega-trends will shape the future of clean label innovation?