Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Should you be marketing on the metaverse?

19-Jul-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe & Jess Spiring

As one confectionery firm launches its own candyland on Roblox to appeal to young gamers, we explore the merits of brand-building in virtual reality

Why cocoa farmers don’t earn a living income

17-Jul-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Most cocoa farmers don’t earn a living income. Why not? And should they all?

Summer Fancy Food Show

Vêsucré’s recipe for creamy, clean-label vegan desserts: neurodivergent employees + simple ingredients

01-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Crafted by a neurodivergent team with special skills for consumers with special diets in a facility where nothing goes to waste, startup Vêsucré is bringing to market decadent vegan desserts that are free from soy, gluten and refined sugar.

Consumers go nuts for protein-packed product innovation

01-Jul-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

With Reese’s collaborating with One to launch a high protein iteration of the iconic peanut butter cup, should other manufacturers be looking at this functional ingredient too?

Summer Fancy Food Show

Consumers want cleaner-label, better tasting gluten-free options in more categories

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...

Now trending: Caffeinated candy

19-Jun-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe & Jess Spiring

Here’s why caffeine-enriched candy has the industry buzzing

Scientists develop better-for-you chocolate, and it’s better for the planet

14-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

Healthier and more sustainable chocolate? While it sounds almost too good to be true, that’s exactly what scientists have created in Switzerland.

Issei Mochi Gummies celebrates Japanese heritage with better-for-you indulgences

13-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Better-for-you candy company Issei Mochi Gummies is bolstering its retail footprint with recent launches into Albertsons and Walmart stores nationwide, as it finds an opportunity to provide an alternative to the gelatin- or pectin-based products on the...

Aye Carumba! Butterfinger partners with The Simpsons again to celebrate 100 years

10-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

The iconic chocolate brand Butterfinger is celebrating its centennial by reviving its partnership with The Simpsons, as it finds new ways to tap into pop culture through video gaming and seasonal products to stay relevant among consumers of all ages,...

How bakery producers can avoid the sting of runaway cocoa prices

05-Jun-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Chocolate is a favored ingredient in everything from cakes to donuts – and even in sweets snacks like energy bars and popcorn – so bakers are undoubtedly feeling the impact of rising cocoa prices.

Can cultivated cocoa solve the chocolate crisis? ‘It’s like cultivating meat, but simpler’

04-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

With climate change threatening the future supply of cocoa, could cellular agriculture offer a solution? Israeli start-up Kokomodo thinks it can, and is emerging from stealth mode to prove it.

Sugar and confectionery trade groups commend Farm Bill progress to reinforce supply chains

03-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

A bipartisan-supported sugar policy addresses supply challenges by enhancing domestic production and streamlining imports "to create a healthier, more abundant sugar market," Grant Colvin, executive director of the Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy,...

NPD Trend Tracker: From sweet butter to Milka chocolate milk

03-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

Sweet butter is creating a ‘new standard’ for the category, we’re told. And that’s not the only sweet NPD for the month. What’s the latest in sweet (and savoury) innovations?

CVS’s expanded, rebranded private label snack line blends functional, fun & flavor

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

CVS is putting the ‘fun’ in functional food with the launch of more than 40 snacks, beverages and grocery items with trendy flavors and ingredients consumers want, including probiotics, fiber, protein and superfoods like turmeric and goji berries under...

Commodities

Volatile Cocoa prices see a surge in panic buying by chocolate industry

30-May-2024 By Anthony Myers

The extraordinary price rallies recorded in the cocoa futures markets have been accompanied by increasing volatility, with reports of panic buying in the US market.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Mars-Wrigley appeals to Gen Z through product innovation, including gummies and peanut butter

29-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Gen Z consumers prefer new snacking experiences "that are talking to them in an authentic way," Mike Gilroy, the Mars-Wrigley’s VP of trade development and sponsorship, told FoodNavigator-USA at the Sweets & Snacks Expo earlier this month.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How can brands become more than a trending flavor?

24-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Confectionery and snack brands can stay head of the curve by offering layered flavors and textures inspired from other food and beverage categories, tapping into nostalgic tastes and international cuisines that consumers gravitate towards, Alice Mintz,...

Six start-ups rethinking cocoa for alt choc innovation

22-May-2024 By Flora Southey

Amid soaring prices and deforestation regulations, chocolate manufacturers may well be tempted to turn their back on cocoa. What alternatives are on offer?

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2024

Blommer Chocolate Company and Incredo target Canada with less sugar options

15-May-2024 By Anthony Myers

Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America, has announced it is extending its partnership with sugar reduction company Incredo.

Hershey warns ‘sustained high prices’ of cocoa will drive inflation in 2025, but will not affect fiscal 2024

06-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The extreme volatility causing cocoa prices to whipsaw should not impact Hershey’s performance in fiscal 2024, thanks to proactive hedging and supply chain diversification, but the outlook for next year is unclear, executives said during the company’s...

Commodities

Cocoa prices 'bearish' after slump, with traders relying on algorithms to predict futures

03-May-2024 By Anthony Myers

After a topsy-turvy week, world cocoa prices recovered on Tuesday after registering losses of more than 20% the prior week, but the market is still struggling with a lull in trading.

Sustainability

Ofi Cocoa partners with USAID to deliver enhanced supply chain transparency

01-May-2024 By Anthony Myers

Major cocoa supplier ofi (olam food ingredients), has claimed recent developments in data and technology are behind its progress towards creating a more sustainable supply chain.

When will the price of cocoa come down?

26-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

As cocoa prices continue to soar, we ask the question on every chocolate maker’s lips.

Sweet, savory snacks win in 2023, age influences purchase channel, Circana finds

25-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers are finding more ways to eat their favorite snacks, as younger shoppers increasingly turn to quick-service restaurants for a convenient option for in-between meal occasions, Circana shared in its annual snack report.

Driving confectionery sales through promos, micro-occasions, catchy displays

25-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Consumers continue to buy sweet treats as rewards and to celebrate despite higher prices due to inflation, helping confectionery sales reach $48bn in 2023 and potentially $61bn by 2028, according to the National Confectioners Association’s State of Treating...

Nassau Candy introduces more bulk candies, expands into dextrose market

25-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Nassau Candy’s positioning in confectionery as an importer, manufacturer and distributor allows the company flexibility to focus on innovation and its customers’ needs by filling in the gaps from discontinued but in-demand products, Dana Rodio, director,...

Mondelēz’s CoLab Tech accelerator seeks startups with ‘cutting edge technologies of the future’ focused on personalized nutrition, sustainability

24-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelēz International wants to team with early-stage startups through its CoLab Tech program to develop “groundbreaking” technology that can accelerate its Vision 2030 Growth strategy and meet consumer demand for personalized nutrition and products that...

Startup Spotlight

Nourish Ingredients expands in animal-free specialty fats with Creamilux for dairy

18-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nourish Ingredients, a pioneer in the emerging ‘animal-free’ speciality fat segment, is expanding into non-dairy with the debut of Creamilux – a low-inclusion lipid that recreates the rich, creamy mouthfeel, taste and emulsification properties of dairy...

Natural Products Expo West

2foods' US debut is three treats in one

18-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Japan’s 2foods sets itself apart in the American market and meets consumer demand for plant-based products with a clean label and a unique taste and texture profile with the US debut of its three-in-one dessert Gâteau Chocolate at Natural Products Expo...

Cocoa feels the bite of climate change

18-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Climate change will affect many industries, but few more than cocoa. While farmers on the ground struggle with fluctuating climatic conditions changing working practices, large companies grapple with environmental regulation.

KIND highlights taste, nourishment with new launches ranging from fruity to savory to kid-friendly

18-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

KIND Snacks continues its exploration of health-forward snack bars and granola with a particular emphasis on savory and fruit ingredients in the brand’s expansive launch, which was showcased during a media event at its test kitchen in New York on April...

FDA’s ‘no questions’ letter for Oobli’s sweet protein opens doors for international expansion

15-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

FDA’s recent acknowledgement that low-sugar tea and chocolate maker Oobli’s novel sweet protein sourced from the Oubli fruit and produced via precision fermentation is Generally Recognized As Safe will grease the rails for the California-based company...

Natural Products Expo West

Mondelez: As snacking becomes more ‘purposeful' portion control becomes key

12-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nearly nine out of 10 consumers snack daily to fuel their busy days, carve out a mindful moment of ‘me time,’ and connect with family and friends – but according to Mondelez International’s recently released 5th State of Snacking report, what they are...

Plant-based confectionery

Cargill explores cocoa and nut-free vegan confectionery

11-Apr-2024 By Anthony Myers

Global cocoa and ingredients company Cargill has announced a new commercial partnership with Voyage Foods to produce alternatives to cocoa-based products and nut spreads without using cocoa, peanuts, and hazelnuts.

Snack maker pladis completes GODIVA integration, eyes US growth in premium chocolate

09-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Global snacking company pladis announced that it has completed the integration of premium chocolate GODIVA into its portfolio of brands, as the company aims to expand its presence in the premium chocolate space with the help of a new president.

NPD Trend Tracker: From PepsiCo snacks to collagen tea

08-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

The collagen trend is on an upwards trajectory, particularly in food and drink. In our latest new product development round-up, we look at a new tea inspired by collagen (it contains collagen peptides). Elsewhere, plant-based continues to trend and UK...

Danone’s Remix platform moves yogurt beyond breakfast to snacks, appeals to younger consumers

03-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Danone wants to entice more Americans – especially young generations – to eat more yogurt, more often and across more dayparts with the launch of its Remix platform, which offers consumers the ability to “mix in” to yogurt crunchy, chewy, sweet and salty...

Special edition: Better-for-you confectionery

The sweet truth: Embracing better-for-you confectionery for a healthier future

26-Mar-2024 By Anthony Myers

In an era of rising health consciousness, the confectionery industry finds itself at a crossroads. Traditionally associated with indulgence and guilty pleasures, confectionery products are now undergoing a transformation to meet the demands of a more...

Mondelēz’s 2024 State of Snacking: Mindful moments on the rise, Gen Z consumers go the extra mile for snacks

25-Mar-2024 By Ryan Daily

Whether it’s a moment to indulge or be mindful, consumers are turning to the snacking category for a host of reasons, as shoppers continue to swap meals out for snacks, Mondelēz International shared in its fifth annual State of Snacking report.

NPD Trend Tracker: From Easter-egg ice cream to dairy-free chocolate eggs

25-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

We’re getting ready for Easter in this week’s new-product roundup. There’s everything from egg-cellent (not sorry!) mini-egg ice cream to egg-citing (still not sorry!) dairy-free chocolate eggs. There’s also a range of drinks from energy-sparking mixers...

What’s on shelf for Easter: Chocolate, of course, but also Fruit ‘n Yogurt Eggs, Almond Cake Mix and an inspirational food waste target

22-Mar-2024 By Gill Hyslop

From Cadbury Mini Eggs Chocolate Cookies to a Popcorn Easter Egg, there’s certainly a bounty available for chocoholics. But Easter isn’t all about chocolate, so we’re also shining a spotlight on better-for-you Welch’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt Eggs, a Moist Supreme...

SOTIC 2024

US consumers’ chocolate craving continues as sales hit all-time high of $48 Billion in 2023

12-Mar-2024 By Anthony Myers

Confectionery sales in the United States hit $48 billion in 2023 (up from $42.6bn in 2022 ), according to the National Confectioners Association’s 2024 State of Treating report, which was released at its Cconference in Miami this week.

Kuli Kuli Foods expands beyond moringa with new products packed with climate-smart superfoods

05-Mar-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Functional food frontrunner Kuli Kuli Foods is moving beyond its flagship star ingredient moringa, which it helped introduce to the US over the past decade, to champion other “medicinally potent” and climate-smart “superfood” ingredients that deliver...

Mondelez North America poised for growth after ‘fixing’ its foundation to focus on value creation, not cost reduction

27-Feb-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelez has “fixed the foundations” of its North American business and is now poised to “unlock new opportunities” in the region with a four-prong plan that executives say will deliver low- to mid-single-digit revenue growth in the coming years.

Hershey’s strategy for sweet success focuses on gummies, celebrities and Reese

26-Feb-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Hershey Company may be best known for its eponymous chocolate bars, but the company is betting big on gummies this year with significantly increased production capacity to support innovation and a new partnership model, including a collaboration with...

Dawn Foods expands ready-to-use portfolio with new chocolate buttercream

23-Feb-2024 By Ryan Daily

Bakery ingredient supplier Dawn Foods launched a European-style chocolate buttercream that is ready to use for bakers, Allison Hornev, senior director marketing core portfolio
& innovation, told FoodNavigator-USA.

Protecting children from deceptive food advertising: The scope of NY’s S213-B bill

21-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Recently proposed legislation in New York seeks to expand the state’s deceptive food advertising regulations to include safeguarding children who may be susceptible to excessive consumption of unhealthy goods, but lawyers with the firm Venable argue the...

Startup Spotlight

Rotten’s ‘gross-out’ culture branding expands appeal of better-for-you candy to consumers often overlooked by health brands

15-Feb-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Better-for-you confection newcomer Rotten’s early distribution gains since it launched in September underscores an unmet consumer desire for candy that cuts back on sugar and artificial ingredients, but not the fun.

Could low-sugar chocolate actually taste better?

15-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Less is apparently more when it comes to the amount of sugar used in the creation of the perfect chocolate bar. So will manufacturers reduce the amount of sugar they use in the making of this sweet treat and will consumers welcome the change?

Valentine's Day candy trends: Chocolate remains popular, better-for-you options on the rise

14-Feb-2024 By Ryan Daily

This Valentine's Day, consumers are predicted to spend a record amount on sweet treats from chocolates to gummy candies, as the confectionery industry navigates supply-chain challenges and increasing demands for better-for-you indulgences.