Troubles for West African cocoa supplies look set to continue following reports that the harmattan, a harsh, crop-damaging wind, has begun to sweep in from the Sahara.
Chocolate consumers are becoming more adventurous, enjoying darker, more unusual flavour combinations with higher cocoa percentages, according to Mintel.
Specialty fats firm AAK has said that the falling price of vegetable oils will help keep its financial situation in good health – especially useful when acquisitions and organic growth in food ingredients are on the horizon.
Continuing our focus on innovative product ideas showcased at this year's SIAL event in Paris, we present a round-up of new food designs yet to hit the market.
ADM has launched a new range of cocoa liquors for Asian chocolate-makers, which is said to leverage the characteristics of specific cocoa beans – including fine Papua New Guinean beans.
When the going gets tough, the tough innovate. So is the message underpinning this year's food trade exhibition SIAL, with swathes of new product designs potentially injecting innovative ideas into the portfolio of confectionery firms operating in...
Hochdorf Nutrifood is extending the application possibilities for its lupin seed-derived ingredient, introducing it as a fat replacer for meat and bakery products as well as a milk and lactose alternative in confectionery.
Confectioners and food firms in the UK are on the alert after the country's food watchdog announces the recall of certain batches of White Rabbit products from China containing up to 60 times the melamine limit.
Costs for cocoa have fallen from a peak of $3000 per tonne in July, to $2551.33 on Monday, but reports of the damaging black pod disease in Ivory Coast could drive prices upwards, compounded by political uncertainty that may see chocolate buyers eager...
British confectionery firm Cadbury has recalled all of its chocolate products manufactured at its Beijing plant as a precautionary step 'after monitoring' melamine-contamination events in China, the chocolate maker said this morning.
As global concern grows over the possible use of melamine-contaminated milk powder in biscuits, chocolate and other foods, the EFSA has deemed that, in the worst case, children could exceed the tolerable daily intake of the chemical by three times.
In the second in our special series on sustainability, FoodNavigator considers how far a company should go in making green sourcing claims, if it is not able to ensure that every ingredient and production process is as green as can be.
Mars says it will continue to reformulate its products to remove artificial colours, additives and saturated fats where feasible, as it launches a new advertising campaign to play up its ingredient commitments.
Confectionery manufacturers are facing increasing cost pressures as cocoa prices reach their highest in over 20 years as cocoa futures prices soared by 3 per cent.
The high price of cocoa butter has led to greater demand for AAK’s cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) from specialty vegetable oils, and in turn has yielded strong growth in its confectionery fat business area.
Organic food has been one of the biggest trends in the food sector in recent years. FoodNavigator is seeking your views on whether organics have staying power, or whether consumers will lose interest over time.
Focusing further on cocoa bean sourcing and processing, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut spins-off Chococam, the last of its consumer activities in Africa, to South African food firm Tiger Brands.
The European Commission has launched a campaign to inform consumers of the benefits of organic food and support those involved in the ever-growing organic market.
Gummy bear candies, not traditionally seen as a first line of defence in battling tooth decay, may play some role in providing oral health care to children when containing some sugar alcohols, according to a new clinical trial in the US.
As the perception of health and taste benefits from organic produce drives sales across all demographics, opportunities are arising in every sector of the food industry.
Confectionery behemoth Mars plunges into the world of online sharing, with the launch of an ad campaign for the Gummi Burst addition to its Starburst sweets line.
Food makers have faced a doubling of raw material and packaging
costs in five years, but a recent report reveals the manufacturers
are facing the challenge head on, with underlying business
remaining resilient.
Strategies for confectionery makers to absorb rocketing price rises
are essential as cocoa prices crash through the $3000 barrier, with
demand outstripping supplies and pulling the stocks-to-grindings
ratio to a 22-year low.
Weight-conscious consumers often opt for mini-versions of snacks
and treats to stay trim, but it might actually have the opposite
effect, say scientists.
Decadent and healthy may not be words readily associated with each other, but Kerry Ingredients & Flavours showcases how to boost the fibre and protein content of chocolate without affecting texture.
Herculean efforts are required by the global chocolate industry to
ensure that sourced cocoa supplies are not linked to exploited or
trafficked child labour, underlines labour watchdog International
Labor Rights Forum.
The wave of health and wellness comes ashore for chocolate makers,
with latest figures from Mintel showing the fresh healthier image
for dark chocolate has brought a much-need, and strident, upward
shift in sales for 2007.
Barry Callebaut today opened its first innovation center in the US
to focus on the development of new chocolate products meeting the
preferences of American consumers.
New outsourcing contracts for industrial cocoa from new and
existing chocolate makers boost volume growth for cocoa supplier
Barry Callebaut, helping to offset harmful exchange rates, energy
prices and inflation.
Cadbury is Britain's most trusted chocolate and confectionery
brand, according to a 2008 Reader's Digest survey, despite
Cadbury-Schweppes being fined £1m last year for allowing the sale
of salmonella-contaminated chocolates.
Wild is introducing a new version of its Fruit Up sweetener,
specially designed for use in fruit jelly confectionery products
and angled towards helping manufacturers tap the healthy
confectionery market.
There is a growing demand for cocoa from Latin America to meet the
increasing popularity of premium chocolates in Europe and the US,
according to a speaker at the recent meeting of the World Cocoa
Foundation (WCF) in Ecuador.
Microscale bubbles could whip up a range of long-lived, stable foam
products whilst giving formulations interesting sensory properties,
according to research published in Science.
Latest figures from the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
suggest that there will be a rise in world production of cocoa
compared to last year and a rise, though smaller, in world
grindings.
ADM Cocoa has introduced new procedures in its cocoa facilities in
the UK so as to be able to supply a new range of certified organic
chocolate to its food industry customers.
A new joint venture by DuPont and Danisco aims to develop what
could be the first large-scale non-food ethanol production, which
could lighten the pressure of biofuels on the food industry.
Confectionery makers will welcome the latest study to proffer the
potential health benefits of chocolate as US researchers report
that pregnant women who consume ample servings of this popular
confectionery may reduce the risk of...
Barry Callebaut has successfully closed its acquisition of a 60 per
cent stake in Malaysia's KLK Cocoa - a strategic move expected to
give the Swiss firm leverage to expand in the high-potential
Asia-Pacific region.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published new
labelling guidance for food manufacturers, which it hopes will help
international companies meet the nation's labeling requirements.
Alkalising cocoa beans reduces the total flavanoid content by
two-thirds, reducing the antioxidant potential of the product,
according to new research.
Gelatin producer Gelnex has announced it will launch a platform at
IFT 2008 highlighting a 100 percent traceability program it says it
has always followed, but that now more than ever needs to be
marketed.
Carob germ flour can yield an isolate with a protein content over
95 per cent and a well-balanced amino acid composition, suggesting
their potential for the alternative protein market, Spanish
researchers report.
Swiss chocolate company Barry Callebaut is to purchase a 60 per
cent share of Malaysia's KL Kepong Cocoa Products in a move
designed to increase its sourcing capacity in Asia.
Higher prices for eggs - both real ones and those made from
chocolate - are unlikely to deter US shoppers from celebrating
Easter as they always have done, according to research from
Nielsen.
Four hybrid cocoa species developed in Ghana to have improved
resistance to pest damage during storage have similar nutritional
properties to conventional cocoa, says a study that topples a
barrier to commercial trade.
Researchers from Unilever have reported breakthrough results that
proteins from fungus could produce food foams with stability that
exceeds anything currently available.