Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

National Association for Convenience Stores

Blending convenience, novelty and flavors at NACS’ Cool New Products snack showcase

18-Oct-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Never-before-seen alternative snacks, energy drinks and frozen packaged snacks dubuted at the National Association for Convenience Stores’ Cool New Products expo Oct. 3-6 in Atlanta, Ga.

Natural Products Expo East

Chocxo innovates at the intersection of indulgence and lower sugar to help consumers balance physical, mental wellness goals

28-Sep-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sugar has emerged as public enemy No. 1 among consumers and FDA is looking for sugar reduction strategies at the behest of the White House – and yet, most Americans still want moments of indulgence with many people justifying them as much-needed support...

Nestlé and Cargill partner to turn cocoa shells into low carbon fertiliser

11-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The project will see Cargill supply cocoa shells to CCm Technologies, who in turn will manufacture fertiliser for two farms supplying Nestlé UK & Ireland.

JM Smucker accelerates focus on convenience, volume gains with acquisition of Hostess Brands

11-Sep-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

With the acquisition of iconic snack cake maker Hostess Brands announced this morning, JM Smucker joins a growing list of packaged food companies padding their portfolios through acquisitions after several rounds of price hikes across categories begin...

Belliwelli’s ‘goal is to make gut health mainstream,’ expands nationally in Target locations

07-Sep-2023 By Deniz Ataman

On Sept. 17, the gut-friendly snack bar brand BelliWelli will be available in 1,554 Target locations nationwide -- adding to the more than 1,000 new doors the brand expanded into in the past year, Katie Wilson, CEO, Belliwelli told FoodNavigator-USA.

Mondelez CEO worries how much higher prices can go before consumers say ‘no’

07-Sep-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As snack giant Mondelez faces yet another round of price increases in 2024, CEO Dirk Van de Put says he wonders how much consumers can absorb and what the company needs to do to maintain volume and market share without compromising margins and profitability.

Regulation

High sugar tariffs in the EU and US sugar programme causing concern for confectionery companies

31-Aug-2023 By Anthony Myers

The Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) has called for the European Union to reform high external sugar tariffs to keep medium-sized companies competitive – while candy makers in the US grapple with US agricultural policy.

Regulation

Organic cocoa supplier has digital tools to help companies comply with EU deforestation laws

21-Aug-2023 By Anthony Myers

Tradin Organic, a Netherlands-based certified organic food ingredients supplier for the food sector, claims it can help chocolate manufacturers, brands and retailers navigate the new EU laws on deforestation by sharing access with its clients to all data...

Kellogg’s Kellanova will focus on innovation, smaller packs & enhanced marketing to drive snack sales

15-Aug-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

On track to separate from Kellogg Co. in the fourth quarter, Kellanova will position itself as a snacks-led powerhouse and improved company with “a growth mindset, a refreshed strategy and more ambitious financial expectations,” CEO Steve Cahillane said...

Mondelez enjoys volume gains despite price hikes thanks to innovation, marketing

28-Jul-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Confection and snack maker Mondelez’s volumes and market share inched up alongside strong sales in the second quarter despite implementing price hikes similar to competitors that report flat units in the face of inflation.

Hershey leans into Halloween, increased capacity to overcome challenges in second quarter

28-Jul-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

While recent price hikes may be reinforcing sales of Hershey’s confections and snacks, they are taking a toll on how much consumers buy – a dynamic compounded by inventory constraints and promotional shifts that executives optimistically project will...

Free Webinar: Raising the Snack Bar - Exploring Growth Drivers, Innovations and Consumer Cravings

27-Jul-2023 By Deniz Ataman

What does it take to stand out in the saturated snack bar crowd? FoodNavigator-USA’s recent webinar, Raising the Snack Bar: Exploring Growth Drivers, Innovations and Consumer Cravings featured an expert panel on the various considerations brands must...

Upcoming webinar: How snack bar brands can carve out a space in a crowded market

19-Jul-2023 By Deniz Ataman

FoodNavigator-USA will present its free editorial webinar, Raising the Snack Bar: Exploring Growth Drivers, Innovations and Consumer Cravings on July 26 at 11:30 AM CT. The webinar will feature a panel of snack bar experts who will explore how key differentiators...

US bakers bank on ‘strength in numbers’ to tackle priorities with Capitol Hill

13-Jul-2023 By Gill Hyslop

The American Bakers Association (ABA) is partnering with the American Society of Baking (ASB) and Retail Bakers of America (RBA) to give bakers an even stronger voice with US Congress.

IFT FIRST 2023: AAK, Bartek Ingredients, Cargill, Fruit d’Or preview indulgent innovations

12-Jul-2023 By Ryan Daily

At IFT FIRST this month, food and beverage ingredient companies from across the supply chain will gather to demonstrate their latest innovations in indulgent tastes, as CPG brands look for product solutions to meet the consumer demand for sweet treats...

Sustainabilty

Love Cocoa & H!P Chocolate secure B Corp Certification

10-Jul-2023 By Anthony Myers

London-based sustainable chocolate brand Love Cocoa’s mission to drive positive change within the chocolate industry has received an added boost after recognition as a certified B Corporation, achieving an overall B Impact Score of 88.3.

Commodities

Cocoa prices hit 26-year high, as soft commodities start to fall

05-Jul-2023 By Anthony Myers

Recent bad weather in West Africa has threatened cocoa production resulting in record-high prices for the commodity on the Intercontinental Exchange in London.

Mondelēz “still committed” to DTC, focuses on basics to drive e-commerce strategy

20-Jun-2023 By Ryan Daily

Snack maker Mondelēz is embracing in-store and digital shopping experiences, as the company is committed to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model for the long haul, company director of global eCommerce Abhishek Ahluwalia told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview...

Seasonal

American consumers celebrate National Candy Month with less sugar

15-Jun-2023 By Anthony Myers

Halfway through the National Confectioners Association’s National Candy Month campaign and new data reveals 47% of consumers are seeking out ‘healthy’ candy options to lower their sugar intake.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Ferrero North America builds US manufacturing facility, expanding chocolate production for the first time outside of Europe

06-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The company’s manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Ill.n will feature a chocolate processing facility and a Kinder Bueno production line. The plant is expected to strengthen the company’s presence in the US, while showcasing its diverse portfolio, Hugh...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Study reveals consumer preference for softer gummies over traditional gelatin-based varieties, says Cargill

05-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Cargill's consumer preference study revealed that despite the widespread popularity of gelatin-based gummies, participants overwhelmingly favored a softer gummy texture made from alternative ingredients like pectin or tapioca.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Snack marketing for multicultural consumers

02-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

As brands seek cultural fluency to develop products for different demographics, Kellogg’s presentation during the Sweets & Snacks Expo explored the various nuances of the multicultural and generational differences of the American snack consumer, specifically...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How retailers can enhance impulse purchases in-store and online

31-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

While e-commerce impulse buys are evolving, in-store purchases are still critical in capturing snack and candy consumers—with the self-checkout lane offering tremendous potential growth for both brands and retailers, Kathy Risch, senior vice president,...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Unwrapping consumers' candy and snack preferences across generations

31-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Despite inflationary pressures, consumers at all life stages continue to treat themselves both in-store and online with candy and snacks, Acosta Group's Kathy Risch shares in this first story in the two part series about consumers' candy and...

News In Brief

DouxMatok rebrands as Incredo, lands $30m to expand production of sugar reduction solution

24-May-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

In a bid to create a more “memorable” identity, Israeli food-tech company DouxMatok is rebranding to share the same “single, powerful” name as its signature sugar reduction product – Incredo – which it plans to further develop and commercialize with the...

Private label products hold their own as retailers leverage brand recognition, shopper loyalty and distribution networks

17-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Private label products have transitioned from price-focused to standalone brands for retailers to cater shifting consumer preferences and trends.

Discount retailers benefit from consumer shift as grocery prices rise

02-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Discount stores need to keep a close eye on pricing strategies to remain competitive and balance affordability with product displays and differentiation, advises one industry insider.

Hershey's net sales grow as it expands commercial capabilities amidst rising commodity and logistics costs

28-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Hershey's net sales increased 12.1% to $2.98bn thanks to price and volume gains across both confectionery and salty snack segments, driven heavily by consumer demand and media investments.

Mondelez raises guidance after ‘best quarter ever,’ successful price hikes

28-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Biscuit and chocolate giant Mondelez International nearly doubled its outlook for fiscal 2023 after delivering its “best quarter ever” with organic revenue growth up 19.4% to $1.5bn over the same period last year and “significantly ahead of [an] already...

SweetLeaf and American Diabetes Association sweeten up another partnership through events and resources to promote diabetes awareness

20-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Similar to previous partnerships between SweetLeaf and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the collaboration intends to bring more visibility towards diabetes risk and management and provide actionable ways for people with diabetes to improve their...

Modern data platform, Crstl, facilitates B2B e-commerce between CPG brands and retailers

17-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The no-code electronic data integration software offers automatic compliance testing, certification services and onboarding amenities to connect food and beverage brands with a network of trading partners.

Blast from the past: Nostalgia drives food and beverage brands back to the present (and future)

14-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Bringing back a nostalgic food and beverage brand "is about relaunching smartly," explained Purvi Shah, assistant professor of marketing, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Hello Alice’s Business Health Score helps small CPG companies access capital

13-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The fintech platform, along with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, intends to help small to medium-sized businesses access capital with the launch of the Equitable Access Program and its first product, the Business Health Score.

CSPI et al’s letter to the FDA urges the immediate and formal removal of Red Dye No. 3, industry trade groups representing color additives request comment deadline extension

11-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Citing numerous studies that suggest Red Dye No. 3 could be carcinogenic, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and a coalition of 23 other associations want FDA to remove the color from its list of approved additives in foods, dietary supplements...

Shrinkflation-weary consumers turn to private label

07-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

Raising prices while simultaneously shrinking products to offset higher inflation could cost brands more in the long term, suggests a new survey from YouGov that found consumers turned off by shrinkflation are turning to private label.

Easter 2023

Candy expected to take up a large chunk of Easter spend, US research reveals

06-Apr-2023 By Anthony Myers

US Consumers plan to spend a collective $24 billion on Easter this year, up from $20.8 billion in 2022 and the previous record high of $21.7 billion in 2020, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights...

Financial results

Barry Callebaut lowers sales volume guidance after ‘flat to modest’ growth

05-Apr-2023 By Anthony Myers

In news over-shadowed by the shock resignation of CEO Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut announced sales volumes in the six months ending 28 February fell 2.9% to 1.13 million tonnes and has lowered its sales volume guidance as inflationary pressures continue...

Natural Products Expo West

Upcycling food ‘is really one of the biggest opportunities facing the food industry’

04-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Upcycling food, or turning would-be wasted byproducts from one product into something delicious and nutritious for people, has emerged as one of the hottest trends in food and beverage in recent years with the market projected to grow at a compound annual...

Easter 2023

Is there a right way to eat a chocolate Easter bunny? Confectionery industry looks forward to a bumper weekend

03-Apr-2023 By Anthony Myers

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.

What’s sweet in permissible indulgences? Marshmallow flavors, twists on classic cookies

31-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

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: ‘The salty business … is now $1.2b in sales, and it is in a moment of scale’

31-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

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 expands US confection lead with ‘occasion-based’ innovation, personalized marketing

30-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

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...

Natural Products Expo West

Simple Mills is creating market demand for biodiverse crops, pushing for equity

28-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Better for you snack brand Simple Mills is taking is mission and products beyond its initial “free from” roots to embrace a “for more” approach that not only skips artificial ingredients that consumers are avoiding but gives them more of what they want...

Hershey reimagines manufacturing to navigate lingering supply chain challenges

28-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

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...

Sustainability

Sweet news for chocolate lovers - and cocoa farmers - as more products added to Fairtrade

13-Mar-2023 By Anthony Myers

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...

Expo West Trendspotting: From beverages bursting with boba to munchable mochi and plant-based beyond meat and dairy

13-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

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...

Supply chain

Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator expects exporters to honour contracts

22-Feb-2023 By Anthony Myers

Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator, has issued a statement that it expects the country’s cocoa exporters to fulfill their contracts despite supply chain issues at ports.

Moving beyond COVID dynamics: How Mars Wrigley, Upfield are retooling approaches, marketing to consumers in 2023

17-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

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.

Sustainabilty

Chocolate processors Baronie & Cémoi join Tony’s Open Chain to improve its cocoa traceability

08-Feb-2023 By Anthony Myers

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 not object to limited health claims regarding cocoa flavanols and cardiovascular disease

06-Feb-2023 By Lauren Nardella

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.