Pod-to-pallet industrial chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut has flagged up the potential for growth arising from the fact that independent analysts, Moody’s, has given the company an ‘investment grade’ status.
With cocoa per-tonne prices standing at about €2080 in the aftermath of the Ivory Coast crisis, chocolate suppliers are coming to the fore with solutions to deliver ‘chocolateness’ with less chocolate content in goods like muffins and baked foods.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is to source UTZ certified cocoa for the first time, after Nigeria was granted sustainable recognition for its beans.
Continued growth in the global confectionery market will be driven by increased demand for ethical and functional products in mature regions, and a rise in disposable income in emerging markets, according to industry analysts.
AAK is taking its rationalisation to a new stage in Q2 2011 as it repositions away from commodities towards higher value-lower volume specialty food ingredients.
Reflecting the continuing industry trend toward outsourcing, Barry Callebaut said a new supply deal it has agreed with Hershey will put its annual deliveries beyond the current 80,000 metric tonnes.
The downward trend in sugar prices is likely to continue, but this recent correction in the market may be undermined by tight global supplies, a factor also likely to curb the fall in cocoa prices, according to Rabobank.
Another milestone has been achieved in the UTZ certified sustainable cocoa programme, with the first-ever shipment of cocoa beans from Ghana that meets that standard’s economic, environmental and social criteria.
A new synthetic polymer for use as a chewing gum base has received a positive novel foods opinion from EFSA, bring the technology for less sticky gum that breaks down within months closer to the market.
Cocoa farming has been a contributor to deforestation and degradation in West Africa due to limited fertilizer use as well as outdated crop husbandry methods, claim two research groups in a newly published study in Environmental Management.
Strong performance in emerging markets and a strategic focus on customer segmentation rather than individual products have driven Barry Callebaut to record half year profits.
As the world’s most populous nation with a strong economy, China is an attractive target for food manufacturers and their suppliers - but they cannot operate effectively in the region without a local presence, according to Torben Friis Lange, AAK vice...
Although many previous attempts have shown that heat resistant chocolate is possible, more research is needed to produce a simple, inexpensive, and tasty chocolate that is resistant to melting, according to a new review.
Despite robust overall growth, Kraft is still suffering from costs associated with its £11.5bn Cadbury purchase, according to the US giant's full-year accounts.
Cocoa prices have remained stable over the past two weeks despite the Ivory Coast export ban with industry analysts citing good industry supply cover and access to plentiful crop from Ghana as factors for the lack of price volatility.
Gourmet and specialty chocolate, and emerging markets, drove sales volume growth for Barry Callebaut in Q1, but Western Europe and the US are still showing mixed results.
The global market for confectionery products is forecast to reach US$186.3bn by the year 2015, driven by the growing popularity of sugar-free categories, exotic flavours and region-specific products, claims a new report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA).
London-based Bompass & Parr says its flavour-changing chewing gum that brings Willy Wonka’s famous three-course meal confection closer to reality could be on sale within 12 months.
Delivery of cocoa bean supplies to ports in the Ivory Coast appears to be unaffected by the recent political turmoil following last month’s election in the West African country.
With a larger crop and only modest growth in use, prices are expected to fall in 2011, according to Rabobank in its latest Agri Commodity market report. However further escalation of conflict in the Ivory Coast could send cocoa prices higher.
Italy has lost a long-running legal battle after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the nation's chocolate producers were guilty of breaking union regulations relating to pack labelling.
Formulating reduced fat chocolate using defatted cocoa powder may indeed by the ‘best compromise’ for confectionery producers, says a new study from Nestlé Product Technology.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a whey protein isolate to replace egg whites in nougat for a Chinese customer facing problems with inconsistent egg quality.
A hike in US$50 in the Fairtrade premium per metric tonne (MT) of cocoa should encourage investment in sustainable cocoa initiatives and better farming practices, claims the group behind the standard, which expects ongoing growth in Fairtrade products.
ADM Cocoa says it is fulfilling consumer and industry demand for healthier ice cream products, with a new range of coatings that its claims reduce saturated fat levels by over 40 per cent.
ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) Cocoa has appointed new managers to reflect its expansion and Eastern European sales focus, while an announcement on new European research centres is imminent.
European food manufacturers will experience commodity inflation in the second half of 2010 but it will be more manageable than it has been in the past, predicts an analyst.
Maltitol is better tolerated then previous reported, and could be used as a sugar replacer in a wide range of food products - according to new research.
Olam International is planning to invest $43.5m to build its first, large greenfield cocoa processing plant in the Ivory Coast as well as additional primary processing and warehouse facilities.
Puratos has combined ingredients from its three sectors – bakery, patisserie and chocolate – to develop new ‘healthy snacking’ concepts for its customers in the food industry.
Recent cocoa bean price volatility is due in large part to hedge funds attracted by quick returns taking short-term positions on the commodity, according to a leading analyst.
Vitiva is proposing a new application for its rosemary-derived antioxidant, to extend the shelf life of milk powder and other dairy products by as much as 50 per cent.
Chocolate that suppresses appetite and delivers oral health benefits has been highlighted in a new survey of confectionery product launches in the Asia-Pacific region conducted by Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics.
Symrise is planning a major increase in its capacity of synthetic menthol as demand from confectionery and oral care sectors is surging, especially in emerging markets.
Beverages formulated with stevia are preferred by consumers over similar products sweetened with sugar or other common high intensity sweeteners, says new research from Croatia.
Product developers at a “very large confectionery company”, a smoothie maker, a babyfood manufacturer and several cereal bar makers are conducting trials of products containing powder from the pulp of the African baobab fruit.
Ensuring consumers reap the benefits from the beneficial compounds in cocoa may mean formulating products with more sugar, suggests a new study from Kraft.
World Vision Australia said it has taken the decision to pause campaigning activities aimed at chocolate-based product manufacturer, Arnott’s, for a six month period in response to the company publicly committing to addressing potential labour exploitation...
Partial substitution of cocoa butter in confectionery products may be achieved with tea seed oil, a by-product of tea processing, says new research with the potential to help chocolate makers cut costs.
Dutch malt extract firm Diastatische Products is eyeing new opportunities for its malt extract ingredients in Belgium, Poland and the Middle East, and has a new distribution agreement with Univar to help it tap them.
Cost savings and a strategy that fits with chocolate eating habits in the recession have meant for an acceptable full year for AAK, topped off with an especially good Q4.
