Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Consumers gear up for holiday grocery shopping, as inflation concerns tick down, 84.51° reports

03-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

With the cooler weather trickling in, consumers are preparing for the upcoming fall and winter holiday season by cutting back expenses, as inflationary concerns linger, 84.51° reported in its September Digest.

Launch Pad

The holiday rush inspires innovations for Halloween through New Year

01-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

New pumpkin spice products continue to hit store shelves as other food and beverage product launches in September usher in the holiday season from Halloween to Rosh Hashanah to Christmas.

Pumpkin spice innovation to fall for: From Oreos to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and everything in between

16-Sep-2024 By Gill Hyslop

As we dive into the world of new product development (NPD) in this seasonal segment, it's clear that pumpkin spice is more than just a fleeting trend.

NPD Trend Tracker: From spooky treats to Christmas sweets

16-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Discover the latest product innovations in the world of food and beverages.

SPATE: Google, TikTok uncover emerging snack trends and sensory innovations

09-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

From spicy dill pickle chips to freeze-dried Skittles, today’s top snack trends reflect a growing demand for sensory overload coupled with nostalgic comforts, according to SPATE’s trend tracker with data from Google Search ending July 31 and hashtags...

Unilever scrambles to reinforce its ice cream business ahead of separation by 2025

06-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite a disappointing start to seasonal ice cream sales in Europe and China, Unilever expects the business to improve sequentially each quarter as it strategically improves “essentially … every metric” of the business ahead of a planned separation by...

Mondelēz prepares for ‘a frugal year’ in 2025, turns to collabs, pack sizes to spur growth

05-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Sweets and snacks giant Mondelēz is preparing efficiency measures in 2025 to offset lower volume sales and higher cocoa prices and focusing on product collaborations like its one with Coca-Cola to spur growth, two executives shared during a fireside chat...

Albertsons expands private label portfolio with Overjoyed, ‘first major new brand launch in over 10 years’

04-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Albertsons is bolstering its private-label business with a new brand dedicated to celebrating special occasions, Overjoyed, as the grocery giant taps into demands for value-focused products, especially among younger shoppers.

September Launch Pad: Fall brings a burst of color, nostalgic flavors & back-to-school solutions

03-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The waning days of summer bring a colorful lineup of food and beverage launches featuring bold purples and blues, along with nostalgic flavors that welcome the promise of cooler weather and seasonal partnerships that celebrate traditional fall activities.

Hershey brings iconic flavors to hot cocoa mixes, readies further licensing innovation

30-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

The Hershey Company once again is expanding beyond its iconic cocoa product with its Candy Shop collection — a portfolio of hot chocolate kits based on its iconic flavors — as the company leverages licensing agreements to create new products to stay on...

The rise of 'Summerween' expects to boost confectionery sales

29-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Core holidays like Halloween are being planned for earlier by consumers who are simultaneously looking for value in their holiday preparations and a desire for extended celebrations, which gives brands an opportunity to offer more assortments, formats...

Harken Sweets enters 1,000 new doors, aims to grow the better-for-you candy category

27-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Better-for-you candy brand Harken Sweets extends its reach to a wider audience who may not shop at premium grocery stores with its expansion into 1,000 HyVee, The Fresh Market, Alberstons, United Supermarkets, Market Street and Better Health Market stores...

Harris aims to ban food price gouging, while industry points to supply chain pressures

19-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris proposes a federal ban on price gouging to lower grocery prices as part of her economic platform for her presidential campaign, however food industry advocates maintain that food prices have remained...

Do film tie-ins boost sales?

16-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Many film studios use tie-ins with food and beverage brands to market their motion pictures. But does this drive sales for the food and beverage products themselves?

Flavors, authenticity, consumer connection to drive food & beverage

15-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

From indulgent treats to non-alcoholic alternatives, consumers are craving brands that provide nostalgic flavors, better-for-you benefits and authentic brand connections - trends that are set to grow into 2025, according to several reports.

Snack attack: Is Mars’ $35.9bn bet on Kellanova the key to dominating the healthier snacks market?

15-Aug-2024 By Gill Hyslop

The mega payout by Mars, Inc. for Kellanova is driven by the candy giant’s desire to expand its footprint in the fast-growing market for healthier snacks, which is underpinned by consumer preference that is shifting away from traditional packaged foods...

Mars to acquire Kellanova for $35.9bn in snack push, as M&A activity set to takeoff

14-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Following media reports, candy and snack maker Mars is set to acquire Kellanova — the parent company of Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts and more — in an all-cash deal worth $35.9 billion, marking one of the biggest deals in food and beverage CPG history...

New Product Development

What’s hot in confectionery? New Product Development from Mondelēz and Bazooka Candy

14-Aug-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

From Cadbury’s ‘fast start’ on Christmas to a pop-up return of the Caramac, meet the latest confectionery launches disrupting the industry

Price-conscious snackers seek value, global flavors in-store

13-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Price-conscious consumers are increasingly seeking healthier yet affordable snack options and shopping for new global flavors in-store, creating a significant opportunity for brands and retailers to develop more engaging and diverse offerings, according...

How are prebiotics and probiotics pushing functionality forward?

12-Aug-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

And what challenges do manufacturers need to overcome to get there?

Premium snacking NPD: Elevating cravings with gourmet, better-for-you snacks

12-Aug-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Ramping up the premium snacking experience involves curating high-quality, gourmet ingredients and emphasizing sophisticated, unique flavors that cater to discerning palates. This approach not only enhances the sensory pleasure of snacking but also elevates...

Mars could acquire Kellanova as part of portfolio overhaul, potentially signaling larger industry rebound in M&A activity

05-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Family-held candy maker Mars Inc. could acquire snack giant Kellanova, according to media reports over the weekend, which, if accurate, could signal the beginning of a long-awaited return to M&A activity in the food and beverage industry following...

Mondelēz counters snacking softness in US with lower-priced packs, promos & increased distribution in value channels

31-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Cookie and confection giant Mondelēz International plans to implement new targeted promotions, introduce lower-priced pack sizes and increase distribution in value-oriented club and convenience stores to counter volume declines in North America that directly...

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...