A new survey commissioned by the National Confectioners Association (NCA) reveals 84% of Americans say they plan to celebrate the 2023 Easter season by sharing or gifting some kind of confectionery treat.
Mars, Kellogg, Mondelez, and other CPG players are launching seasonal sweets and snacks to mark the start of Spring and Easter with unique and classic flavors as well as bite-size formats that also satisfy consumer demand for permissible indulgence.
Hershey plans to aggressively scale its salty snack business with ambitious goals to take SkinnyPop popcorn and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels from second and third place respectively to first in their categories “in the next couple of years” by building brand...
Hershey is gaining market share in the US confection market while its top competitors fall farther back by replacing its old playbook of innovating and marketing to masses with a more targeted “occasion-based” approach to product development and “mass...
Hershey is making more of the sweets and snacks consumers want with less and overcoming extreme supply chain challenges by replacing and repurposing underutilized manufacturing capacity, ditching conventional lines in favor of more efficient modular operations...
Consumer demand for snacks continues to increase, and Mondelez International sees itself as well-positioned to not only meet those needs but increase its market share in the process.
Strong consumer demand for affordable, sustainable products will drive the Fairtrade market in 2023, the organisation said after a successful awareness campaign in the UK brought ethically sourced products, such as chocolate, bananas and coffee, into...
Emerging and maturing trends revealed at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week ranged from dips delivering delightful dinners, mochi moving into multiple day parts, plant-based expanding beyond analogues, and beverages brimming with better-for-you...
Katjes USA is launching ‘Sheroes’ a new plant-based gummy candy at Expo West this week, which will also honour women across the country who ‘are heroes in their own right’.
Artificial sweeteners have gained in popularity as consumers seek out products without sugar, but a new study suggests a potential link between keto-friendly sweetener erythritol and an elevated risk of heart attack or stroke.
Senior figures from US confectionery are set to gather in Miami this weekend for its annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), hosted by the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
As 2023 comes into focus, CPG brands are addressing yet more changes to supply chains, marketing, and how they approach consumers, retailers, and the markets they serve, as shared in a recent IRI and Boston Consulting Group webinar.
Industry leaders and food safety stakeholders are calling out FDA for not going far enough in its plans to unify under a new Human Foods Program nearly all of its major food components that currently are scattered across multiple divisions.
Nestlé has reported its net profit fell to CHF 16.9 billion ($18.33 billion) in its full year results for 2022, with sales increasing to CHF 94.4 billion ($102.38 billion), missing forecasts for CHF 95.02 billion ($103.05 billion), despite price increases...
Macro trends, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, are driving uptake of products claiming to be both healthy and indulgent, according to ingredients suppliers.
Rabobank’s powerful matchmaking and once-exclusive innovation arm Foodbytes is opening access for all global startups, corporates and investors to its forward-looking insights, industry analysis and support for vetted emerging businesses with this week’s...
Tony’s Open Chain, an initiative by Tony’s Chocolonely that invites other chocolate manufacturers to ramp up sustainability efforts in their own supply chains, has announced it is partnering with chocolate processor Baronie & Cémoi.
FDA will allow a very narrow set of claims linking cocoa flavanols in high flavanol cocoa powder and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease following a petition from Switzerland-based chocolate and cocoa product manufacturer Barry Callebaut AG.
From limited-time offerings to licensed products, this Valentine’s Day candy season is shaping up to be a big one in terms of sales and product launches, with many leading CPGs providing sweet treats for those romantics – and even some for those who despise...
‘Chocolate and salty snacks rank a two of the top three resilient treats that consumers are not willing to forgo’
Sweets and snacks giant Hershey will double down on advertising and production capacity for its fastest growing brands, including Reese’s and Skinny Pop, in the coming year to help offset price elasticity and meet consumer demand, which executives say...
Mondelez executives see no reason to lower prices or increase promotions for their iconic sweets and snacks despite reported retailer requests that brands across the board do so as some consumers begin pulling back on spending in the face of ongoing inflation.
The Valentine's Day candy season is poised for growth in 2023 with year-over-year sales expected to grow 5% to around $4bn, despite rising inflation and supply chain issues, according to the National Confectioners Association.
FDA once again is considering front-of-pack labeling “to help consumers interpret the nutrient information on food products,” including testing a controversial traffic light approach to show when a product is high or low in select nutrients and a design...
In a statement, Fairtrade said: ‘Risk assessment and collaboration with farmers and workers are cornerstones of sustainable supply chains and essential for evolving due diligence requirements’.
Consumer Reports, the independent, non-profit member organisation that allegedly tested and discovered harmful levels of cadmium and other harmful heavy metals in some chocolate products, has urged the producers to commit by Valentine's Day to reduce...
Dollar sales of foods and beverages in IRI-measured multi-outlet stores in the US rose 8.7% to $753bn in 2022 vs 2021, driven by double-digit inflation, while unit sales dropped -3.3%, although units are still above pre-pandemic levels, according to IRI...
Over the next three years, Unilever plans to expand its lead in ice cream sales by offering more premium products, expanding in emerging markets and leveraging digitization to boost sales online and out of home, a top executive recently revealed.
Despite concerns that high energy prices, supply chain and labor challenges, and geo-political strife will continue at least through the end of the year if not longer, many CPG executives remain optimistic about their companies’ performance, according...
Procurement intelligence and analytics provider Beroe predicts that corn prices will remain high due to supply chain disruptions and increasing production costs.
In an effort to streamline its portfolio, ingredient manufacturer Kerry has entered into exclusive negotiations to sell its sweet ingredients business to food ingredient company IRCA for €500m ($538m).
San Diego-based Seminal Biosciences – one of a growing number of startups deploying precision fermentation to produce specialty fats – is aiming to get its first product, a cocoa butter alternative, to market next year in a dark chocolate bar, with additional...
While economists predict inflation will ease slightly in the coming quarters, this year could easily become a “groundhog day version of 2022” if the weather takes a turn for the worse and triggers a domino effect that strains transportation, commodity...
As 2022 draws to close on what has been a challenging year for many industries, chocolate and candy continues to buck the trend in the US, according to a new report by the National Confectioners Association (NCA) that reveals non-chocolate candy is a...
Frankford Candy, the leader in manufacturing and marketing licensed confections and gifts, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a Christmas holiday giveaway for fans.
Mondelēz International has announced it has entered into definitive agreements to sell its developed-market gum business in the United States, Canada and Europe to Italian-Dutch company, and European rival, Perfetti Van Melle Group for $1.350bn.
'Cocoa used to be in a fruit on a tree. Through technology we make it in a cell mass in a bottle...'
After a scathing review published earlier this month by the Reagan-Udall Foundation criticized FDA for its scattered and inefficient approach to food safety and applied nutrition, the agency says it is committed to “building a world-class human foods...
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has issued a statement on the findings of a consumer report released in the United States that claims to have found dangerous amounts of heavy metals (lead and cadmium) in chocolate from popular brands including...
American candy lovers can now discover what Christmas tradition is most popular in their state with Hershey’s holiday tradition heat map and then use the candy pairing guide to make sure they’re stocking up on the right iconic sweets to help make holiday...
After eight years of research and development, Joywell Foods has rebranded as Oobli, and unveiled the first food products – chocolate bars boasting 70% less sugar – to feature the sweet protein brazzein.
While the European Commission recently banned the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in foods in the EU, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has just warned consumers to avoid it, the FDA tells us it has reviewed the scientific opinion...
Danish enzyme and cultures suppliers Novozymes and Chr. Hansen plan to merge their businesses in a move they say will create a ‘leading global biosolutions partner’.
Fairtrade America partners, including Tony’s Chocolonely, Gallant International and Divine Chocolate, have announced a strengthening of commitments to the label for social justice and sustainability.
Frustrated by “stubborn” double-digit inflation driving up prices of shelf stable groceries, Walmart is rethinking its approach to stocking the center of the store – potentially asking existing suppliers to creatively cut costs or risk reducing their...
