Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Comfort with a twist: Specialty Food Association spotlights 5 food trends for 2022

09-Nov-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers' pursuit of comforting foods with a slight twist in flavor, ingredients, and nutritional benefits will drive the majority growth of the $170.4bn specialty food industry in 2022, according to the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Trendspotter...

GoodPop drives new consumers to frozen novelties: 'We're eagerly anticipating plant-based to be a long-term shift in the category'

05-Nov-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

GoodPop Frozen Pops is targeting a growing consumer segment frequenting the frozen novelties aisle in search for products that can serve as a permissably indulgent snack or treat.

Holiday shortages push consumers to shop earlier, explore alternative stores, categories

04-Nov-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite recent warnings that key holiday foods may be out-of-stock or more expensive than previous years due to ongoing supply chain challenges, consumer concern about obtaining food and the impact of inflation hasn’t changed much compared to August,...

Independent grocers prove resilient: 'The pandemic brought consumers back to independent grocers in record numbers'

01-Nov-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While most of the grocery retail sector experienced record sales last year, independent and small regional grocers experienced a notable lift in sales despite increased costs of doing business and dealing with the same supply chain issues as many of its...

Rise of frozen snacking driven by consumers' desire for permissible indulgence

26-Oct-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers have evolved their definition of what qualifies as a snack and are increasingly seeking out permissibly indulgent options, which has given rise to a new type of snacking behavior in the frozen set, Mintel consumer insights research suggests....

Unilever hikes prices ‘significantly,’ warns there is more to come amid high inflation, supply chain challenges

22-Oct-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Unilever joins the parade of CPG manufacturers hiking prices “significantly” to offset rising commodity costs and other inputs, with CEO Alan Jope warning, “there is more pricing still to come.”

Introducing the 4th Food For Kids Summit: How are new guidelines, emerging research and evolving trends reshaping children’s diets and the marketplace?

20-Oct-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Beginning at conception and continuing through first bites to afterschool snacks and beyond, nutrition plays a pivotal role in children’s brain development, emotional lives, and long-term health – but all too often they aren’t getting all the nutrients...

Nestlé debuts Rallies Nut Butter Bombs, a snack for world-weary 'slumpers'

20-Oct-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nestlé has entered the refrigerated snacking set with its line of permissably indulgent Rallies, a three-bite snack of chocolate enrobed nut butters, which is targeting a growing group of consumers who need a pick-me-up to rally themselves out of a slump,...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What will it take to save sliding sales of D2C subscriptions?

18-Oct-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The tide appears to be turning for direct-to-consumer subscription boxes, including for food and beverage, with consumer interest dropping dramatically in 2021 compared to last year when the pandemic pushed many people to try the services as a safe and...

FDA tackles rising childhood obesity by 'helping industry improve the underlying healthfulness of the food supply'

07-Oct-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

As part of a broad effort to reverse an alarming and profound increase in childhood obesity in the US during the pandemic, FDA is seeking to improve children’s diets, and is also taking steps to limit exposure to toxic elements in baby food and reduce...

Halloween’s mixed bag: Candy sales predicted soar to $3b, but COVID could frighten away some celebrants

27-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Spending on Halloween candy is predicted to rebound to an all time high this year after the pandemic frightened away most trick-or-treaters and celebrants last year – causing sales to slump to a five-year low, according to industry research.

Mondelez, union, tentatively propose contract to end strike at Nabisco bakeries, distribution facilities

15-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelez International and a union representing more than 1,000 Nabisco employees have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike at three bakeries and three sales distribution facilities across the country that began early last month.

Slower inflation growth in August sparks optimism, but likely won’t impact grocery prices soon

14-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

While inflation in August was still more than double the Federal Reserve’s 2% long-term target, its growth rate slowed for the first time in eight months – sparking optimism in some policy makers that the economy is healing.

FoodBytes! Pitch 2021 highlights sustainable supply chain solutions, enhanced nutrition & improved resource management

08-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

From plant-based and nutritionally enhanced products to improved sustainability and packaging innovations, the 45 startups participating in FoodBytes! by Rabobank’s Pitch 2021 competition announced today hit on some of the hottest trends and biggest challenges...

Production

Hershey and Barry Callebaut extend strategic supply agreement in US

02-Sep-2021 By Anthony Myers

Joint statement announces that Barry Callebaut will continue to supply liquid chocolate and finished products to Hershey in North America under a renewed long-term agreement.

Investing in the Future of Food

Chocolate minus cocoa? Peanut butter minus peanuts? Voyage Foods wants to ‘decouple’ food from its source material to ease negative environmental, social implications

01-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Climate change, labor shortages, inflation and strained supply chains threaten manufacturers’ and suppliers’ ability to ethically source, safely produce and efficiently deliver the foods consumers want at prices they can afford -- but what if there was...

Convenience, premium, indulgent & expanded health benefits among pandemic trends that will stick

24-Aug-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the pandemic drags on and consumers feel more confident in the kitchen they are relying less on well-known, iconic brands for comfort as they did in the months immediately following the coronavirus outbreak and are more willing to try new brands and...

Corporate

US craft chocolate pioneer Scharffen Berger announces return to private ownership

23-Aug-2021 By Anthony Myers

The brand, under new ownership following the acquisition from The Hershey Company after 16 years for an undisclosed sum, made its official debut at the recent NCA Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis and has moved to a new manufacturing craft facility...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Consumer interest, trust in ethical certification rises alongside social justice movements, coronavirus cases

23-Aug-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The pandemic’s impact on frontline workers, including farmers and food manufacturers, paired with recent high profile social justice movements and spectacular displays of climate change over the past 18 months is spurring more consumers to look for and...

Cargill and vertical farming company AeroFarms team up to unlock a more resilient cocoa supply chain

18-Aug-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Cargill and vertical farming pioneer AeroFarms are combining their areas of expertise in a multi-year research agreement to unlock new ways of creating a more resilient and productive cocoa sector.

Hershey: Sales of chocolate and snack brands track above 2019 levels while once-struggling nutrition bars rebound

02-Aug-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Continuing to benefit from elevated at-home consumption of its core chocolate brands and growing snacks business, The Hershey Company reported $1.99bn net sales for Q2 2021 (12 weeks ending July 4, 2021) an increase of 16.5% compared to Q2 2020.

Gopuff raises $1bn in new funding, doubling down on business priorities

02-Aug-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Online product delivery platform Gopuff, which delivers thousands of household products from snacks to alcohol from its hundreds of micro-fulfillment centers, has secured $1bn in new funding, raising the company's evaluation to $15bn.

Protera prepares to bring diverse, clean-label and sustainable proteins to market with $10m series A fundraise

30-Jul-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Santiago, Chile and Paris-based AI-driven startup Protera is one step closer to commercializing a portfolio of clean-label proteins that can replace chemical preservatives to extend food shelf-life, safely turn unsaturated fats into saturated fats, enhance...

Mondelez predicts strong sales for remainder of year despite inflation and other ‘pressure points’

29-Jul-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelez International raised its full-year organic revenue guidance to 4% from 3% on Tuesday after net revenues climbed 12.4% to $6.64bn in the second quarter thanks in part to increased mobility buoying categories hit hard by the pandemic and ongoing...

Honey Mama's brings chilled cocoa truffle bars nationwide with Whole Foods distribution

13-Jul-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Oregon-based Honey Mama's and its truffle-like chilled cocoa bars made from five organic whole food ingredients is entering Whole Foods stores nationwide, where the brand is aiming to bridge the gap between the chocolate and wellness bar categories....

NuSkool Snacks finds growth in recovering snack and nutrition bar category: 'Our retail numbers are off the charts'

12-Jul-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Despite overall declines of the snack and nutrition bar category over the past year, NuSkool Snacks (formerly MCTco) saw demand for its brand – and other low-sugar bar products like it increase – reports founder and CEO Joe Christensen.

Low cocoa prices pose ‘serious consequences for long-term supply of chocolate’, warns Fairtrade

08-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Chocolate as we know it is facing a difficult future and could become a rare, luxurious treat, the group has claimed.

Investing in the Future of Food: SnackMagic's Snack Drop offers inexpensive sampling, data analytics to help emerging brands test innovations, understand consumers

30-Jun-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

For a fraction of the price and hassle of in-person sampling or focus groups, the new product discovery and data analytics platform Snack Drop allows emerging brands to offer goods directly to consumers in exchange for honest feedback and detailed information...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging confection trends track pandemic-based desire for escape, connection & safety

28-Jun-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 450 exhibitors and 8,000 attendees traveled to the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis last week for one of the first in-person food and beverage tradeshows since the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 to showcase two years of product innovations...

Sustainability

Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire launch new threats to cocoa companies over LID payments

24-Jun-2021 By Anthony Myers

Neighbouring West African states account for over 60% of global cocoa supplies, but have threatened to name and shame chocolate brands trying to avoid paying the LID, a $400-per-tonne premium, which goes to their farmers.

Unilever global ice cream leader talks plant-based formulation: First get the protein right…

24-Jun-2021 By Elaine Watson

Unilever experienced an “explosion” in the growth of non-dairy ice cream when it introduced products through mainstream brands such as Ben & Jerry's and Magnum, according to global ice cream EVP Matt Close. But getting plant-based proteins to...

Chocolate consumption on the rise, survey finds

16-Jun-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Viewed as the antidote to a tough day, chocolate was the indulgence of choice for one-third of US grocery shoppers during the pandemic, according to a survey from Cargill's North American Cocoa & Chocolate team, which uncovered the primary purchase...

IRI 2020 New Product Pacesetters: Who made the list?

14-Jun-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

From emerging keto ice cream brand, Rebel, and Beyond Meat's plant-based sausage, to big food's permissibly indulgent takes on legacy brands (Reese's Thins and Zero Sugar Mountain Dew), one theme rang true in IRI's 2020 New Product...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What do consumers consider ‘healthy’ and how does that stack up to the truth?

14-Jun-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the pandemic shined a light on the role of diet and nutrition in health and wellness, it also revealed that most consumers don’t have a firm – or even loose – idea of what constitutes healthy – underscoring a need for more research and better education...

'Do we really need another snack bar?' asks Rabobank

10-Jun-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Does the market need another snack bar? In short, probably not, but it may be time for a reset of the bellwether category, says Nicholas Fereday, senior analyst, consumer foods at Rabobank.

Coca-Cola: Brands with heavy or perishable items can still leverage e-commerce

04-Jun-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Brands with heavy, bulky and perishable products that are difficult or expensive to ship direct-to-consumer need not write-off e-commerce as cost prohibitive or lag behind competitors in other consumer categories when it comes to online sales penetration,...

Where next for ice cream? 'Frozen treat brands will need to speak to indulgences differently'

02-Jun-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The US ice cream and frozen novelties category experienced a significant rise in sales in 2020 (+16.3% vs. 2019) as consumers sought out comfort eating while confined to their homes. However, in 2021 and into 2022, the category will be challenged as consumers...

Virtual Expo West

‘Diet’ is no longer about preparing for swimsuit season, it is ‘a tool for well-being … to achieve broader goals of feeling healthy and high-functioning’

27-May-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers adopt a more flexible and holistic approach to ‘dieting,’ brands have more room to innovate at the ingredient-level through “mindful omissions and swaps” to create products that appeal to shoppers’ lifestyles, according to new research from...

No sugar added: Hershey signals commitment to low sugar confectionery with acquisition of Lily’s

18-May-2021 By Elaine Watson

Hershey - which recently outlined a strategy to expand its reduced sugar offerings via in-house R&D, acquisitions, and licensing or partnership deals - has struck a deal to acquire fast-growing ‘no sugar added’ chocolate brand Lily's Sweets for...

“Carbon score is the next big thing,” predicts CGC co-head, industry experts gathered by FoodBytes!

13-May-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Carbon labeling for food and beverage may be coming faster than originally predicted, and soon may hold more sway with consumers than other popular certifications as the ongoing pandemic accelerates consumer interest in sustainable diets, predict industry...

NEWS IN BRIEF

B&G Foods appoints new president and CEO

12-May-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

B&G Foods -- parent company to household name brands including Ortega, Green Giant, and Crisco -- has appointed Kenneth C. “Casey” Keller as its next president and CEO, effective June 14, 2021, replacing B&G Foods’ interim president and CEO, David...

Kellogg's MorningStar Farms and Incogmeato brands bolster Q1 2021 sales growth

07-May-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

More than a year out from the onset of the pandemic, and Kellogg's organic net sales remain elevated at +4% for Q1 2021 (compared to Q1 2020) largely driven by growth of its frozen foods portfolio.

Private label growth falls behind branded food for first time in a decade – driving need for new strategies

06-May-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite historically enjoying rapid gains during economically challenging periods, like the pandemic, private label growth fell behind branded products in all but a few niche food and beverage categories during the past year – a role reversal that hasn’t...

Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, and Hellmann's lead Unilever Q1 2021 food sales: 'Foods and refreshments did have a very good quarter,' says CEO

03-May-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Unilever – which has strong anchor portfolios across the CPG landscape including food & personalized nutrition, beauty & personal care, and home care – saw continued strong in-home consumer demand for its core ice cream brands and double-digit...

Pots & Co accelerates US expansion plans with General Mills 301 INC backing: ‘We’re on a mission to rescue people from bland, uninspiring food’

30-Apr-2021 By Elaine Watson

“There's no way we could have launched 10 years ago in America,” observes Julian Dyer, stockbroker-turned chef, turned-founder of London-based Pots & Co, which is looking to make a splash this side of the Atlantic with his upmarket desserts.

Hershey rides dual waves of at-home and on-the-go consumption as vaccines roll out to hit sales gains

30-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The pandemic’s uneven recovery is creating a “unique window of dual strength” for The Hershey Co., which saw sales gains across all three segments of its evenly divided portfolio of at-home, on-the-go and seasonal products during the company’s first quarter,...

Mondelēz emerges from pandemic 'stronger than ever', says CEO

28-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Mondelēz International is continuing to see healthy demand for its core snacking brands, proving that industry-wide sales spikes for packaged, shelf-stable products were more than just a COVID-inspired blip, said chairman and CEO Dirk Van De Put.

Conagra benefits from sustained and elevated at-home demand in Q3 2021

12-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Still benefiting from a sustained consumer shift to at-home eating over a year past the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Conagra has registered a nearly 10% increase in organic net sales for Q3 2021 compared to the same period last year.

Clio Snacks debuts snackable parfait bars: ‘The bar category will continue to grow if innovation is injected into it’

07-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh snacking brand Clio Snacks – known for its chocolate covered Greek yogurt bars – had a breakout year in 2020, says VP of marketing Rachel Moore. This year, the company is ramping brand awareness and customer trial with its newest product innovation:...

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: What is the best way to reach consumers during and after the pandemic?

29-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The coronavirus outbreak fundamentally changed how food and beverage brands are connecting with consumers – from abruptly halting live sampling and in-store promotions to altering the types of messaging consumers want to hear.