Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Mars expands Georgia facilities for Orbit, Excel and goodnessknows production

25-Jun-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Mars has announced plans to add production for Wrigley’s Orbit and Excel gum at its Flowery Branch site and says it will add production for snack square brand goodnessknows at its Albany factory.

Milk constituents, not just flavonoids, in chocolate could explain link with lower heart disease, stroke risk, study finds

16-Jun-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Dark chocolate often steals the spotlight for health claims, but new research suggests milk chocolate, which is sweeter, fattier and more popular, could offer the same benefits in high doses.

Chocolate makers poised for acquisition spree to control volatile commodities – Euromonitor

12-Jun-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Euromonitor International expects more chocolate makers will take vertical control of their supply chains by acquiring commodity suppliers as prices continue to climb.

Coolhaus combined the power of multiple retail channels to fuel fast growth

11-Jun-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Direct-to-consumer marketing through food trucks and fast casual restaurants can efficiently generate brand awareness and consumer trial of new food and beverage products, but to build brand longevity and business stability, the best retail option is...

Smucker’s will launch more “clean” & “healthy” products in fiscal 2016, executives say

05-Jun-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Peanut butter and jelly maker J.M. Smucker Company plans to introduce more than 100 new products in the coming year – most of which will be “clean” and “healthy,” according to company executives.

The Cookie Department aims to help children fight obesity with a healthy cookie alternative

04-Jun-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the founder of The Cookie Department says he wants to “fight the good fight for anti-obesity” by marketing a vegan cookie to children and their parents through the California school system.

U.S. confectionery Goliaths losing market share to SMEs – IRI

03-Jun-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

The top four U.S. candy manufacturers are growing at slower rates than smaller companies, that are able to bring new products to market quicker, says an IRI analyst.

Mars appeals to health-conscious consumer with goodnessknows national launch

29-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The inclusion of dried fruit in Mars Chocolate North America’s goodnessknows snack squares helps deliver the sweetness consumers seek from confections, while also helping the candy-giant deliver on its commitment to offer options with limited added sugar.

“Don’t forget about baby boomers” when marketing foods, IRI analyst cautions

28-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food marketers increasingly are training their crosshairs on millennials whose purchasing power is growing quickly, but they should not overlook baby boomers, who spend the most of any generation on snacks and sweets, according to analysis of sales data...

Culinary trend spotting

Millennials are driving snack sales growth & reshaping how Americans eat, Euromonitor says

22-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019, thanks in large part to millennials who eat more snacks than any other group, according to analysis by Euromonitor.

Nestlé-sponsored research provides answers on chocolate fat bloom

21-May-2015 By Vladimir Pekic

A Nestlé-supported study has examined the causes of chocolate fat blooming, a process when white defects appear on the surface of chocolate because of fat crystallization – a serious problem for the global confectionery industry.

Experts untangle GMO developments and impact on firms at FoodNavigator-USA’s Going Non-GMO forum May 20

19-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Pressure on food manufacturers to label genetically modified food and provide non-GMO alternatives is mounting as consumer concern and confusion about the technology increases in response to a deluge of negative messaging about it.

Step aside energy drinks: Chocolate has a stimulating effect on human brains, says Hershey-backed study

18-May-2015 By Vladimir Pekic

Researchers from the Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Arizona Western College (AWC) concluded that dark chocolate confections containing only moderate amounts (60%) of cacao have an acute stimulating effect on the human brain and vasoconstrictive...

Taura Naturals & Welch’s concentrate the nostalgic taste of Concord grape in versatile ingredient

14-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The flavor of Welch’s famous Concord grape no longer is limited to juices, jellies and purees, but can now be found in concentrated fruit pieces and pastes that can easily be formulated into a broad range of products thanks to a partnership between Welch’s...

Sharing the goodness: Hershey’s conveys progress its 2014 CSR report

13-May-2015 By Vladimir Pekic

The Hershey Company made significant progress against its responsible sourcing and sustainability commitments in 2014, according to its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.

OTA’s submission of organic check-off proposal to USDA brings it one step closer to reality

13-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

It’s official: The Organic Trade Association and the GRO Organic Core Committee submitted to the USDA May 12 a petition to launch an organic check-off campaign that, if approved, could raise more than $30 million annually to promote and support the industry...

60-second interview: Kyle von Hasseln, creative director food products 3DSYSTEMS

3D printing will 'definitely move into home kitchen', predicts The Sugar Lab co-founder

12-May-2015 By Elaine Watson

Food was already 3D last time we checked, so once you get over the excitement of being able to ‘print’ a multi-dimensional product in layers, are you left with an expensive gimmick, or something that is going to change the culinary world forever?

Ferrero wins Brazil trademark case: A Tic Tac is a mint - not a biscuit

11-May-2015 By Vladimir Pekic

Ferrero do Brasil has won its battle for the Tic Tac trademark on its small, flavored hard mints.

Forte Gelato repositioned as a decadent dessert in pint-sized packages

05-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The maker of Forte Gelato hopes to expand its consumer base beyond health-conscious shoppers, recovering patients and athletes to reach the mainstream consumer by repackaging its high-protein, low-fat dessert into pints.

"We’re still only just starting to discover all the amazing things mushrooms can do.”

Myceliation: A mushroom-fueled process with game-changing food industry applications?

01-May-2015 By Elaine Watson

From a commercial perspective, it’s still early days for myceliation, a process by which mushrooms (or rather, their filament-like roots or ‘mycelium’) can remove bitter compounds and naturally occurring toxins from some of the world’s most valuable crops...

People who snack multiple times a day tend to be younger and to reach for sweets, finds poll

01-May-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

A whopping 80% of U.S. consumers snack at least once per day, with the vast majority favoring unhealthy but convenient foods, according to a new poll conducted by CivicScience.

Mondelēz struggles to keep pace with the global chocolate market in Q1

30-Apr-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelēz International has continued to grow below the overall chocolate market in first quarter of 2015 after it was the first to raise wholesale prices last year. However, it expects its chocolate business to rebound in H2.

Special edition: Beyond 2020 - The future of sustainable cocoa

‘We cannot let Indonesia fail’: Mars stresses Asia’s importance in meeting future cocoa demand

29-Apr-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Asia is poised to help meet rising demand for cocoa, but its key producer Indonesia faces quality concerns and its government lacks incentive to grow the sector.

Nestlé files all-natural heat resistant chocolate patent

23-Apr-2015 By Anne Bruce

Nestlé has filed a patent for heat-resistant chocolate made by adding fibre from sources such as wheat or citrus fruits.

FDA’s list of food priorities include finalizing rules for GRAS & gluten-free labeling for fermented foods

21-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

FDA is considering adding pre- and post-market enforcement “enhancements” to the final rule for the process of determining food substances are GRAS – or generally recognized as safe, according to a top agency official.

Europe and North America cocoa grinds slump in Q1

21-Apr-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa processing has dropped in North America and Europe in the first quarter of 2015, but a futures analyst says chocolate demand remains steady.

Slow-to-evolve FDA regulations could holdback 3D printing of food

15-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Investing in 3D printing could open new markets and generate huge cost savings for food manufacturers and retailers, but first companies must overcome potential regulatory and legal hurdles, many of which are not yet identified, warn food and drug lawyers...

General Mills nears goal of 100% sustainably sourced palm oil

14-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through partnerships with small farmers, non-governmental organizations and other industry stakeholders, General Mills reports it is making progress towards its goal of sustainably sourcing 100% of its top 10 ingredients by 2020.

Getting authenticity ‘right’ to grow business & make social change

09-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The requirement to be “authentic” to succeed in the competitive food and beverage industry is clear, but how consumers define authenticity and how companies can meet and benefit from this lofty standard is not as clear.

Competition heats up as new frozen desserts launch

09-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

With the arrival of Spring, the weather is heating up and so is the competition in the frozen dessert aisle as firms launch new ice creams, gelatos and frozen novelty treats. Here are a few of the new desserts hitting store shelves with the goal of keeping...

Love With Food subscription snack box helps brands sample products efficiently

08-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Subscription snack box company Love With Food helps natural snack manufacturers drive brand awareness and sales by sampling their products directly to consumers’ doors for a fraction of the cost and labor of in-store demonstrations, according to the company’s...

Chocolate sales slow in face of rising costs, competition and health concerns, Mintel data shows

06-Apr-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Rising health concerns, commodity costs and competition are restraining sales of chocolate in the U.S. that until 2014 were growing strongly, according to market research from Mintel.

Easter baskets 2015: Innovations from the top confectioners

03-Apr-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

R&D teams at Mars, Nestlé, Hershey and Mondelēz have developed a series of new products to capitalize on Easter, the second largest season for US confectionery sales.

Nestlé files patent for cocoa extract allergy treatment

03-Apr-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Nestlé has filed an international patent for cocoa polyphenols as a treatment or prevention of eosinophilic esophagitis – an allergic reaction of the esophagus.

Improving foods works better than educating consumers, says expert

03-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Reformulating foods to be healthier without telling consumers is a brilliant health policy, says Professor Graham MacGregor.

HealthyCheats founder: ‘Controlled variety’ missing from subscription snacks

01-Apr-2015 By Maggie Hennessy

The proliferation of snacks along with the growing number of ways to get them has created too many options for consumers who, above all else, like a limited variety to suit their needs, says David Calabrese, founder of San Francisco-based HealthyCheats,...

Undone Chocolate sources cacao direct trade to ensure high quality

31-Mar-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Washington, D.C.-based startup Undone Chocolate is on a mission to combine flavor and health and to succeed it is willing to pay three times more than the premium price for Fair Trade to secure the highest quality cacao beans farm direct.

COOL fallout

American-made chocolate could disappear from Canadian shelves with ‘retaliatory duties’, says NCA

30-Mar-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

The U.S. National Confectioners Association (NCA) is worried retaliatory taxes in Mexico and Canada from country-of origin labeling could see American-made chocolate disappear from its main export markets.

Sugar confectioners finding heart with tin packaging, says Crown

26-Mar-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

More sugar confectioners are turning to metal packaging to convey a premium image, according to packaging supplier Crown.

Choco Treasure brings whimsy of chocolate wrapped toys to U.S. legally

26-Mar-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Thanks to a little ingenuity, Candy Treasure has brought to the U.S. legally a line of much-loved chocolate surprise eggs and sports balls filled with whimsical small toys that, until now, FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned in America.

Sales of indulgent snacks outpace healthy options, IRI data shows

24-Mar-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers may be seeking more healthy and fresh foods in general, but when it comes to snacks, more people want an indulgent treat than something good for them, according to marketing data from IRI.

Patent Watch

‘Little extra effort’ for latest heat resistant chocolate process, says Mondelēz

16-Mar-2015 By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelēz has developed a method to produce heat resistant chocolate that it says can easily be integrated into existing processes.

Fiber ... Are you getting enough?

BioNeutra’s VitaFiber offers 3-in-1 benefits of a prebiotic, fiber and low-calorie sweetener

16-Mar-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

BioNeutra’s VitaFiber, a soluble dietary fiber, prebiotic and low-calorie sweetener all rolled into one, is a triple-threat that can help manufacturers meet growing consumer demand for less sugar, more fiber and foods and beverages that promote gut health.

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