Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

No health risk from candelilla wax, says EFSA

20-Nov-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Confectionery glazing agent candelilla wax (E 902) has been deemed safe to use in Europe after a reevaluation from the European Food Safety Authority.

Halve processing times with novel gum resin, says Wacker

15-Nov-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

German chemical group Wacker has developed a solid resin for gum bases that it claims halves processing times and eliminates the need for additional flavorings.

Stevia chewing gum appeals to ‘natural’ ingredients trend, says Cargill

14-Nov-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cargill has developed a stevia chewing gum that it claims will appeal to consumers looking for natural ingredients.

IMCD partners with Tate & Lyle to meet Fairtrade sugar demand

26-Oct-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Food ingredients and chemicals firm IMCD Benelux has partnered with Tate & Lyle Sugars to supply specialty cane sugar ingredients in Benelux, Germany and Poland.

Welsh chewing gum tax doesn’t stick

25-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The Welsh Assembly has rejected plans to introduce a 5p levy on chewing gum.

AAK files patent for composition to prevent fat bloom

24-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Swedish ingredients firm AAK has filed a patent for a composition that it claims prevents chocolate fat bloom.

Natra profits rise after cocoa price letup

22-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Spanish chocolate and cocoa processor Natra has more than doubled its operating profit in its ninth-month results helped by relaxing cocoa prices, North American expansion and a shift to value added products.

UTZ Certified sets 50% target for sustainable coffee, tea and cocoa by 2022

15-Oct-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

UTZ Certified has said it will aim for half of the world’s coffee, tea and cocoa to be produced sustainably by 2022, at a tenth anniversary seminar held in Amsterdam this week.

EFSA reaffirms carnauba wax safety at current usage levels

10-Oct-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) has re-evaluated carnauba wax as a food additive and found it to be safe at current usage levels.

Rhodia launches intense vanilla flavors for chocolate and bakery

03-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Rhodia Aroma Performance has introduced a range of intense vanilla flavors that it claims allows manufacturers to differentiate products and mask off-notes.

Mondelez will struggle to topple Mars in China and Russia – analyst

02-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Kraft’s global snacks spin-off Mondelez will face fierce competition from the likes of Mars and Nestlé in the emerging confectionery markets of China and Russia, according to an analyst from Euromonitor International.

Fairtrade in Spain hits €26m but still lags behind Europe

01-Oct-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Fairtrade sales in Spain hit €26m for 2011 but wider Europe is significantly ahead in both sales and awareness, according to a report.

Barry Callebaut UK strikes end as settlement reached

27-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has reached a settlement with workers at a factory in the UK after strikes were staged earlier in the week over a pay dispute.

Ireland ‘the right environment’ for The Jelly Bean Factory’s booming export business, says MD

10-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Irish confectioner The Jelly Bean Factory has opened its upgraded manufacturing site in its homeland, which it says will help export sales to double.

Suitable for diabetics? Diabetes Ireland says diabetic label claims are misleading

07-Sep-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Diabetes Ireland has called on food manufacturers to stop using the term ‘diabetic’ or ‘suitable for diabetics’ on product packaging, saying that such claims could mislead consumers.

Irish CPG firms eye US retail market

04-Sep-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Enterprise Ireland invited executives from major US retailers to stay an extra day following the Navy-Notre Dame football game in Dublin on Sunday to meet with Irish consumer goods companies that have potential to expand their presence in the US market.

Career Profile

Tate & Lyle product developer gets candid

28-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

James Blunt, senior vice president, product management at Tate & Lyle Speciality Food Ingredients (SFI), which develops healthy and technical solutions for food and drink, talks to FoodNavigator about what his job entails.

Sustainability initiative tackles cocoa and coffee losses

27-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform is making headway in preventing cocoa and coffee crop losses, improving supply and yields for manufacturers.

Barry Callebaut pumps millions into sustainable cocoa

24-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

Chocolate processor Barry Callebaut has paid €2.4m in premiums to Ivory Coast cooperatives in Africa for Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa.

Roshen Corporation expands footprint in Ukraine

24-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

Confectionery manufacturer Roshen Corporation has started production at its latest plant in the Ukraine, in which it has invested UAH 600m (€59.1m).

Independents call on Hershey to address child labour

23-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

US candy brand Hershey’s faces a fresh campaign demanding that it should embrace fair trade principles and reject the use of child labour.

Confectionery coaters Capol to penetrate US through distribution deal

17-Aug-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

German confectionery coatings firm Capol will have increased presence in the United States after its private equity owner purchased a US distribution business.

Dark chocolate could reduce heart disease risk, says study

16-Aug-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa compounds found in dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure in the short term and could help guard against cardiovascular disease, according to a recently released study.

Healthy food should be cheaper, argues Israeli lobbyist

14-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

Healthy food should be made cheaper and a ‘fat tax’ should not be treated simplistically in Israel, the head of the public health lobby in Israel’s parliament has told FoodNavigator.

Slash chocolate fat in half and prevent bloom with fruit juice, says study

13-Aug-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Fat content in chocolate can be cut in half and fat bloom avoided by using fruit juice, without any impact on mouthfeel, according to researchers.

Palm oil-free may be emerging trend

24-Jul-2012 By Rod Addy

A shift towards palm oil-free foods and ingredients could be an emerging trend in Europe, according to market analysts.

‘Alarming’ food tax trend: No unhealthy foods only unhealthy diets, says CAOBISCO

16-Jul-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries (CAOBISCO) has called for a halt to ‘discriminatory’ food taxes in its latest annual report and argues that there is no such thing as unhealthy foods, only unhealthy diets.

Price volatility as concerning as high commodity prices - Commission

12-Jul-2012 By Rod Addy

Price volatility is as concerning as constant high commodity pricing, according to a European Commission response to a new report on global agricultural development in the next decade.

Cargill launches certified chocolate range for small users

12-Jul-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cargill has certified its Off the Shelf Chocolate range to bring ethical cocoa to smaller users as demand for sustainable products booms.

Cargill supports Belgian steviol glycoside guidance

21-Jun-2012 By Rod Addy

Global sweeteners firm Cargill has welcomed fresh guidance from Belgium on the labelling and advertising of steviol glycosides used to sweeten food products.

Lycotec develops ingredient for weight management and cholesterol lowering chocolate

13-Jun-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Biotec firm Lycotec has developed an ingredient for chocolate and other fat-based foods that it claims can help consumers to manage their weight and reduce blood cholesterol.

Partnerships key to tackling cocoa supply chain challenges, says industry

11-Jun-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Partnerships will be crucial in tackling the supply chain challenges in the surging cocoa and chocolate industry – this was the key message at Barry Callebaut’s Chocovision conference.

Symrise targets menthol demand as Holzminden site expands

08-Jun-2012 By Rod Addy

Flavours and fragrances giant Symrise outlined plans to grow the menthol category for foods and personal care products after confirming the completion of a €16m expansion in Holzminden, Germany, yesterday.

Healthy chocolate ‘breakthrough’: Lycotec develops ingredient to unlock cocoa’s health potential

07-Jun-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Biotech firm Lycotec has developed an ingredient that it claims can harness the health potential in both dark and milk chocolate and lead to products with anti-ageing, injury recovery and increased physical performance properties.

Tasty innovation ensures resilience in cash-strapped, health-conscious Australia

04-Jun-2012 By Kacey Culliney

The Australian confectionery market has remained resilient in the face of economic struggles due to investment in product development from the industry, accoding to a report.

ICCO cuts cocoa deficit forecast

04-Jun-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) anticipates a lower than expected global cocoa shortage in the 2011/12 season due to ideal weather conditions and higher grinds in some cocoa producing countries.

Europe debates stevia’s ‘natural’ claims

29-May-2012 By Rod Addy

Discussion continues over whether stevia compounds in food and drink products can be labelled as ‘natural’, with the weight of opinion favouring ‘from a natural source’ as a descriptor.

Commission denies rising food price is competition issue

25-May-2012 By Rod Addy

Rising food prices across Europe are not attributable to a failure of competition dynamics in the food industry, according to a report just issued by the European Competition Network (ECN).

Cocoa deficit to bring prices higher, predicts Rabobank

22-May-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

A consecutive deficit in 2012/13 is set to move cocoa prices higher as supply struggles to meet rising demand for chocolate products in Asia, according to financial services group Rabobank.

Zetar’s nuts hit by raw material price inflation

15-May-2012 By Rod Addy

Zetar took a 5% hit in annual group revenue after exiting from low margin core commodity sales, particularly in processed and packed nuts, at the beginning of 2012.

Cocoa waste may become valuable source of pectin, suggest researchers

10-May-2012 By Nathan Gray

Cacao pod husks – a major by-product of cocoa processing – could provide industry with a new, environmentally friendly source of pectin, say researchers.

Blommer predicts looming cocoa supply crisis

10-May-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Demand for cocoa is expected to climb 30% in the next 10 years creating a 25% shortage of current supply, according to North American cocoa processor and chocolate ingredients supplier Blommer Chocolate Company.

Dutch bar manufacturer VSI opens third factory

09-May-2012 By Rod Addy

Dutch non-branded bar manufacturer VSI has begun operations at a €10m plant in Leerdam, Holland, which incorporates a research and development (R&D) centre and has the capacity to make triple-layered bars.

Spanish researchers spell out 2020 consumer food trends

04-May-2012 By Rod Addy

‘Eater-tainment’, ‘SuperSense’ and ‘Food Telling’ are among the food consumer trends predicted to be prominent in 2020 by researchers at Spain’s Azti-Tecnalia research and development centre.

EU egg shortage: An alternate view on how long it will last

11-Apr-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The bakery and confectionery industry claims it has been hit with a “dire and unprecedented” EU-wide egg shortage as suppliers of egg replacers look to profit and offer up their opinions on how long the situation will last.

Functional health ingredients fail to take off in confectionery - Leatherhead

06-Apr-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Functional health ingredients have failed to move into mainstream confectionery and have not penetrated the market as expected, according to a report from Leatherhead Food Research.

Dispatches from Anuga Foodtec 2012

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