Nestlé could go further than offloading its struggling US confectionery business and could find a willing buyer for its entire global confectionery division, says an analyst.
Divine Chocolate is expanding its export portfolio announcing new listings with existing customers Waitrose and BP Connect in the UK, and Walgreens in the US.
Mars Chocolate North America is recruiting ‘curators’ to host parties promoting a specially created range from Mars, which can be sold on an online store.
Sugar and calorie reduction has taken its toll on the chocolate category, but focusing on quality ingredients can foster growth, suggests a Euromonitor analyst.
Reporting effective approaches to tackle deep-rooted poverty and child labor in the cocoa sector should take precedence over shock headlines, writes ConfectioneryNews’ editor.
Barry Callebaut’s head of innovation expects the chocolate industry will opt for natural fibers to gradually cut sugar and calories, but says uptake for sugar reduction remains low.
Barry Callebaut has outpaced the overall global chocolate market in its full-year results as long-serving chairman Andreas Jacobs announces plans to step down.
EU rules allowing a maximum of 5% vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate are a threat to artisan chocolate producers, says a French member of European Parliament.
Barry Callebaut plans to acquire a chocolate plant from Mondelēz International in Halle, Belgium, under an agreement to supply the Milka maker 30,000 metric tons of liquid chocolate annually.
A simple labelling mis-translation gave rise to widespread rumours that an international chocolate brand’s formulation contained alcohol, Dubai authorities have revealed following a probe.
Mondelēz has revived its iconic Cadbury Roses brand as part of a £3m ($4.3m) campaign to redesign the chocolates, its packaging, and switching to tear-off wrappers.
From snack bars to spreads, chocolate to cheese, the trend for raw ingredients in processed foods is spreading across Europe, says Mintel, as consumer attention goes beyond the ingredient list to look at clean-label processing methods.
Figures from grinders including Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Nestlé and Mondelēz show the volumes of cocoa processed in Europe in the first quarter of this year.
Barry Callebaut has posted volume growth above the chocolate confectionery market in its half-year results, but net profit fell mainly due to currency fluctuations and a challenged cocoa ingredients business.
Chocolate has been tied to improved brain function, enhanced energy, and other health benefits, but confectioners will be better served by leveraging chocolate's emotional connections, according to a recent report by Mintel.
Belgian firm Vandenbulcke has introduced ChoVita, the first chocolate brand in Europe that makes a cocoa flavanol health claim that it is 'good for your blood flow'.
Chocolate manufacturers can drive growth in the premium space with heat resistant chocolate nibbles and clean-label Belgian caramel chocolate without added flavors, claims supplier Barry Callebaut.
Cocoa off-flavors can be avoided by fermenting beans in sealed vacuumed bags inside an incubator with yeast starter cultures, claims Mars in a patent application
Beneo claims previously untested varieties of inulin and isomalt come closer to matching the taste and mouthfeel of sugar in chocolate than ever before.
Barry Callebaut has posted increased volumes and revenue in the first quarter of financial year 2015/16 despite declines in the global chocolate confectionery market.
Cocoa farmers operate in a chocolate supply chain that perpetuates poverty and bear the bulk of the risk, claims Cacao for Change as it proposes an alternative model.
Barry Callebaut has found previously undiscovered cocoa polyphenols as it works with Bremen-based Jacobs University to crack the commodity’s molecular code.
Barry Callebaut lowers its growth outlook and predicts a challenging year ahead as high cocoa prices and high finance requirements hit 2014/2015 profits - despite solid sales growth.
Three class action lawsuits brought in California allege Mars, Nestlé and Hershey use child labor to produce their best-selling chocolate brands. The firms say they are tackling the issue and will fight the cases.
Cocoa flavanols have been tied to lowering blood pressure and heart disease risk in new research by a Mars-backed project, but study authors say chocolate is too calorific to be a delivery vehicle.
Nutritional ingredients supplier Delavau has utilized its fortification technology to enrich chocolate and compound coatings with calcium equivalent to levels in a glass of milk.
Mars plans to expand capacity at its Veghel plant over the next 10 years to produce miniature versions of its brands as Western Europeans limit their calorie intake.
Lindt & Sprüngli has reported strong sales growth in the first half of the year driven by its North American business and recent Russell Stover acquisition as global chocolate markets slow or decline.
Rising temperatures could seriously change where cocoa is grown in the next half-century and global output could be threatened if the chocolate industry does nothing to protect its key crop.
Small-to-medium sized confectioners making their first moves into export markets must be clued up on local regulations, consider temperate changes and pick distributors carefully to avoid mishaps, says UK firm Lauden Chocolate.
