Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Nestlé’s net zero roadmap: ‘We have no time to lose’

04-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Swiss food giant Nestlé wants to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. “We have no time to lose,” CEO Mark Schneider told journalists at an event detailing how the company plans to get there.

Tate & Lyle’s Sweet Green Fields acquisition unlocks innovation leveraging 'deep technical stevia expertise'

01-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Tate & Lyle has taken full control of stevia supplier Sweet Green Fields (SGF). Abigail Storms, Global Sweeteners Lead, says the move will create ‘more opportunities to innovate with customers leveraging SGF’s deep technical stevia expertise’.

‘Mega trends’ in clean label revealed: ‘It’s what’s not on the label that’s important’

26-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

For today’s consumers ‘clean label’ is less about the ingredients featured back-of-pack and more about what isn’t listed, be it preservatives, genetically modified ingredients or artificial sweeteners, according to L.E.K. Consulting.

Barry Callebaut wants to crack the plant-based market with global expansion of La Morella Nuts

19-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Barry Callebaut is planning a global push for its La Morella Nuts business as it works to tap into growing demand for plant-based products and consumer interest in health and sustainability.

Meet the ‘unbelievably creamy’ vegan chocolate brand paying cocoa farmers 60% more than Fairtrade

19-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

UK start-up Fellow Creatures has developed a plant-based chocolate its founder says is a far cry from the ‘sickly sweet’ vegan offerings currently on-shelf.

From immunity and sustainability to plant-based and clean label: Top trends out in force at Fi Europe CONNECT 2020

18-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Fi Europe is a red-letter event for the European food sector. This year, COVID-19 means things will be a little different. But the need to share ideas and innovation – as well as networking and business opportunities – has ‘never been more important’.

How Tony’s Chocolonely plans to disrupt ‘the big seven’ in chocolate

29-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

From humble beginnings as a PR stunt, to becoming the biggest chocolate brand in the Netherlands, Tony’s Chocolonely is moving closer to its goal of disrupting ‘the big seven’ in chocolate. FoodNavigator hears how.

Kaffe Bueno to scale upcycled coffee grounds business with seed boost

29-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The Danish biotech making upcycled flour from spent coffee grounds is preparing to scale up production having secured €1.1m in seed funding, co-founder and CCO Alejandro Franco tells FoodNavigator.

Valio researchers first to document importance of ash-protein ratio in reduced sugar chocolate

26-Oct-2020 By Jim Cornall

Researchers at Finnish dairy cooperative Valio said they have discovered '30% less sugar' chocolate made with milk-based protein is equal to regular chocolate in taste and texture.

Can supermarkets help tackle obesity? ‘Many diet habits start in the grocery store’

16-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

Food brands and supermarket retailers seeking to improve the healthiness of consumer baskets in two of London’s ‘most challenging’ boroughs have been rewarded with ‘very encouraging’ first year results.

How ethical is your food supply chain? Self-assessment tools added to Accountability Framework arsenal

12-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The Accountability Framework Initiative has launched a self-assessment tool to help companies identify, prioritise, and address elements of their practices that fall short, explains Rainforest Alliance scientist Leah Samberg.

Sugar reduction scheme a ‘Soviet-style diktat’

07-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Critics have rounded on the UK government’s voluntary sugar reduction plan -- which calls for a 20% cut from the food industry in key products by the end of this year -- after a report revealed it is heading for failure.

Firmenich and Novozymes partner on sugar reduction

07-Oct-2020 By Jim Cornall

Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, and Danish biological solution leader Novozymes, have launched their new, jointly-developed natural sugar reduction solution: TasteGEM SWL with Saphera lactase.

Mars announces deforestation-free palm oil supply chain

06-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

Mars, Inc. has announced its Palm Positive Plan has delivered a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain. Yet environmental NGO Greenpeace takes issue with the confectionery giant's strategy.

Sustainability

Cargill’s new CocoaWise portal opens up its supply chain to greater scrutiny

05-Oct-2020 By Anthony Myers

Cargill, one of the world’s largest chocolate producers, has launched a digital portal that provides consumers with increased knowledge and shareability into the origin of the products they source from the company’s direct supply chain.

What does the list of top most valuable UK brands tell us about food trends?

02-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Despite the nightmare that has been 2020, it has been a good year for food companies, according to the 2020 top 75 Most Valuable UK Brands report from ad giant WPP and insight firm Kantar.

‘Go Vegetal’: Nestlé’s plant-based Nesquik hits Europe

29-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

Following the US launch of Nesquik GoodNes in January this year, food and beverage major Nestlé is bringing its plant-based ready-to-drink beverage to Europe.

Food giants launch new deforestation pledge after missing 2020 objectives: ‘Our approach was not agile enough’

24-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The Consumer Goods Forum has launched a fresh initiative to tackle deforestation in the food chain. FoodNavigator takes a look at this new effort – and asks why the CGF’s previous zero-deforestation commitment missed the mark.

Olam Cocoa hits 100% traceability in direct cocoa supplies: ‘This is a crucial step towards… eradicating child labour and deforestation’

22-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

Olam Cocoa has achieved 100% traceability for directly sourced cocoa across its global supply chain. FoodNavigator speaks to Andrew Brooks, Head of Sustainability, to learn more about reaching this milestone and the work that lies ahead to move the cocoa...

Ground-breaking trial gives new hope for peanut allergies

15-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A trial suggests that oral immunotherapy treatment, which involves repeated exposure over time to gradually increase doses of the allergen, could allow sufferers to increase their tolerance to peanuts. They would not be able to eat nuts at will, but their...

The key to healthy and sustainable diets… more processed foods?

09-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Opportunities abound for the food industry to address public health and environmental issues through clever food processing, say nutrition scientists.

'We are helping to build positive narratives for our customers': Olam discusses its sustainability platform AtSource

19-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Agri-business giant Olam International has launched a digital platform, AtSource, that provides detailed information about its supply chains. The company hopes the data and insight on the platform will allow its customers to be more transparent with their...

The recipe for ‘healthier’ milk chocolate? Just add peanut waste

17-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

Scientists claim to have found a ‘new way’ to boost the antioxidant properties of milk chocolate: by combining it with waste peanut skins.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: Sugar reformulation part 2: The taste conundrum

14-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar...

Chocolate is ‘good for the heart’: study

04-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

Eating chocolate at least once a week has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, a new study has concluded.

Child labour spikes during COVID-19 lockdown in Côte d’Ivoire, finds International Cocoa Initiative

02-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

During the partial COVID-19 lockdown in Côte d’Ivoire, a sharp rise in child labour was observed. Yet according to the International Cocoa Initiative, it is too early to attribute the increase to the pandemic alone.

Rainforest Alliance unveils new certification standard: ‘We need new approaches that move beyond a simple pass-fail system’

01-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

From September this year, Rainforest Alliance will start rolling out the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard worldwide. How does this newly enhanced standard set itself apart in the field? FoodNavigator speaks with the NGO’s director of standards and...

‘Conguitos contributes to racism’: Chocolates Lacasa slammed by consumers wanting change

29-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

Spanish confectionery company Chocolates Lacasa S.A. is the subject of a petition pushing for the ‘immediate removal’ of all products marketed under its Conguitos branding.

CBD body announces safety study consortium as Novel Foods crunch time looms

19-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ahead of the UK Food Standards Agency’s 31 March 2021 deadline for CBD products to have a validated novel foods application, the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI), which works to create a safe, legal and well-regulated CBD market in the UK,...

Emotional rescue: How tapping into food and mood can make or break a product

08-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A better understanding of the emotional impact of food can help manufacturers overcome the challenge of new products that fail, and also adapt to disruption in the industry.

Cheese, ready-meals and egg alternatives most in demand among plant-based eaters

04-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Plant-based cheese, ready meals, seafood, and alternatives to eggs are among the biggest opportunities in the plant-based sector, a survey of over 6,000 consumers has found.

Cargill: ‘Technology is moving us closer towards maximum transparency and traceability’

27-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

US agri-food giant Cargill is looking to solutions such as mobile money, GPS mapping and digital data collection to improve transparency in its cocoa supply chains in Africa and elsewhere.

Reaching the ‘left behind’: Systemic solutions needed to tackle farmer poverty in cocoa

22-May-2020 By Katy Askew

A new report from the Fairtrade Foundation and Mondelez International highlights that cocoa sustainability initiatives are failing to reach a significant proportion of cocoa farmers. FoodNavigator speaks to Cathy Pieters, director of Mondelez’s Cocoa...

How are smallholder farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? Olam weighs in

14-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Smallholder farmers in Africa are particularly at risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Julie Greene, VP, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at agri-food giant Olam.

Beyond sugar and salt reformulation: The case for ‘positive nutrition’ targets to help curb obesity

13-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Implementing ‘positive nutrition’ policies – to increase the amount of whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and vegetables in our diet – could help the UK combat childhood obesity, argue experts.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Barry Callebaut distributes soap to Unilever’s cocoa farmer cooperatives

06-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Cocoa producer Barry Callebaut is delivering 10,000 pieces of soap to customer Unilever’s cocoa farmer cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire.

Ingredion launches polyol sweetener to tap health-conscious trend

04-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredion EMEA has launched its first polyol sweetener -- ERYSTA Erythritol – to enable manufacturers to reduce or replace sugar to achieve nutrition-related claims, such as ‘no added sugar’ or ‘calorie-reduced’, in multiple applications.

Mars patents heat-resistant chocolate that maintains taste and shape in hot climates

30-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Mars, Inc. has developed a packaged heat-resistant chocolate it says maintains taste, mouthfeel, and shape during transportation and handling in hot climates.

How chocolate ‘fingerprints’ could help prove sustainability claims

27-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Scientists are analysing cocoa’s chemical ‘fingerprint’ to determine in which country it was produced. In the future, the technology could have the potential to confirm chocolate label claims, say researchers.

Making sweet food taste sweeter: Could coffee hold the key to sugar reformulation?

23-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of Denmark reveals that drinking coffee changes our sense of taste, making sweet foods even sweeter. Could these findings help inform sugar reformulation strategies?

Sustainability

Fairtrade Prices boost cocoa farmers’ income by $15m in fourth quarter

14-Apr-2020 By Anthony Myers

Fairtrade International has announced sales of Fairtrade certified cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased farmers’ earnings by approximately $15.1m compared to non-Fairtrade cocoa.

McVitie’s hails sugar reformulation ‘breakthrough’

03-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

McVitie’s is reducing sugar in nine of its best-selling UK biscuits by up to 10%, in what it calls a breakthrough in sugar reduction that doesn’t compromise taste.

Olam clashes with NGO over palm oil zero deforestation pledges: ‘We strongly refute the factually inaccurate and false allegations’

02-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Olam International has opposed the World Rainforest Movement’s claims the agri-food giant is taking advantage of ‘loopholes’ in its zero deforestation commitments in Gabon.