US firm Vitaball is gearing up to launch a caffeine-free energy tablet gum and gum ball that it claims gives it a distinct market position over its competitors.
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is holding discussions to sell its cocoa ingredients business - a business unit that saw profits plunge 24% last year.
60-second interview: Rohit Tibrewala, CEO, Roha, North America
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Rohit Tibrewala CEO, Roha, North America, to talk natural colors…
PL Thomas claims to be taking the wholefood concept to a completely new level with the launch of whole food powders made using a novel process that can turn “pretty much anything that is a food into a powder”, from salmon to pumpkin.
Kraft’s plan to split itself into two standalone business units will help the market see more clearly how its brands are performing and provide greater focus on key categories, says one analyst.
Corporate sustainability programs do not go far enough to stamp out child labor on cocoa farms - only third party certification will do, says a new campaign.
Rising demand in Asia and Africa will drive significant growth in global sugar consumption, according to a new Rabobank report. The report, Global Sugar to 2021, projects global sugar consumption to grow from 166 million tons to 203 million tons in raw...
The chocolate and cocoa industry has pledged $3m in new funds to global cocoa sustainability as major firms including Mondelez, Hershey and Cargill talk about their new initiatives.
America’s top food and beverage companies have exceeded their goal of reducing 1.5 trillion calories in the US marketplace, says the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF).
Not so long ago, cheese alternatives were pretty grim. They were a poor substitute for the real thing, and something most people unable or unwilling to eat regular cheese could manage without.
More people in the US favored dark chocolate in 2012 than they did the prior year due to its potential health benefits, according to market analysts Mintel.
Consumers are becoming less interested in mid-market products, and are trading down for basic groceries and trading up for premium brands that matter most from an emotional and social perspective, says a new report from Rabobank.
The Brazilian biscuit market is set to grow 25% in value sales in the next five years and a big opportunity exists for healthy cookies marketed to women, according to market analysts Mintel.
Industry efforts to reduce and/or remove trans fats from food products have led to progress, but this progress is slowing, and the industry must continue its effort to reformulate, says a new report from Harvard School of Public Health.
Nestlé USA announced at the National Confectioners Association (NCA) show that the company is expanding its Nestlé Cocoa Plan responsible sourcing program to its American product offerings.
At the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago, new confection and snack products on display reflect what flavors, ingredients and categories candy consumers are hungering for.
Strong consumer demand for sugar-free gum – a ‘sweet’ spot of the industry – will lead to exciting new flavors and nutrient delivery, says ingredient supplier Ingredion, with the company’s new encapsulation matrix opening up product developers’ creativity.
Spanish-based firm Natra claims sales for its private label division in North America will double within three years after it agreed a deal to rent a production facility in Canada to spearhead growth.
There is still a market for caffeine gums even after US Food and Drug Administration concerns prompted Wrigley to suspend production of its new Alert gum, according to private label gum maker Fertin Pharma.
Cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate may keep you calmer and content but no link has been established with enhanced cognitive performance, according to a study funded by Barry Callebaut.
While peanut flour has been around for years, recent interest in protein - particularly the plant-based variety - has sparked renewed interest, particularly in the nutritional bars market, according to one leading supplier.
While Mondelēz is not expecting a significant turnaround in gum this year, the world’s #2 gum maker behind Wrigley is “actively testing a number of ideas to rejuvenate the category” that are just starting to pay off, CEO Irene Rosenfeld told analysts...
Fair Trade USA claims that draft changes to its labeling policy allowing brands with 20% certified ingredients to carry its logo are justified in composite products like chocolate because components like sugar are mainly sourced domestically in the US...
Founded in the same year that Edison created the first functioning light bulb, Thompson Brands is one of America’s oldest chocolate companies. But it hasn’t stayed in business this long by resting on its laurels, CEO Gene Dunkin tells Elaine Watson.
Consumers in emerging markets are more receptive to new chocolate products than counterparts in established markets because they don’t have a point of reference, according to ADM Cocoa’s innovation chief.
The FDA says it will take a “fresh look” at the health effects of caffeine on kids following the launch of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - a new caffeinated gum from Wrigley (Mars).
This is the story of how an initiative from Oxfam prompted assurances from leading chocolate companies to improve the lives of women cocoa farmers. How did each firm react? Were they quick and effective enough?
Not-for-profit organization Fair World Project has criticized changes to Fair Trade USA's labeling policy, which allows chocolate to carry the seal when it contains a high percentage of other ingredients like sugar that are not fairly traded.
On day two of the 2013 Food Technology & Innovation Forum in Chicago, R&D bosses from the world's biggest food and beverage companies learned how Unilever gains consumer insights online, what Nestlé thinks about biotech crops and how McDonald's...
If Hershey arrived in China later than some rivals, it has more than made up for lost time since, delegates at the Food Technology & Innovation Forum in Chicago learned this week.
The US’s largest natural foods retail cooperative PCC Natural Markets claims it has become the first grocer in the nation to sell chocolate made only from ethically sourced cocoa.
All confectionery categories will grow in Mexico over the next five years, but gum will grow the fastest and confectioners can capitalize with products enriched with vitamins and minerals, according to research from Canadean.
Brazil has one of the largest markets for Easter confectionery and has had more Easter launches than anywhere else, but the Chinese have yet to look beyond the religious nature of the season as they have for Christmas, according to an analyst.
Diana Plant Sciences, based in Portland, OR, has brought to market what it says is the first nutraceutical ingredient produced completely in a bioreactor via plant stem cell technology.
The number two gum player Kraft (now Mondelez) has filed a patent for a degradable gum composition that is similar to one currently being assessed for novel foods approval in the EU.
Hershey has called attacks on its text messaging tips for farmers program CocoaLink “disingenuous” after a group of NGOs questioned the effectiveness of the project.
New Jersey-based Candy Treasure has overcome a US ban on toy-filled chocolate eggs dating back to 1938 after its Choco Treasure surprise eggs were deemed safe for sale.
The industry has pledged $10m in new funds since 2010 to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, but a newly released report says the job is far from over.
The maker of a newly launched appetite suppressant gum claims to be the first to have self-affirmed GRAS status for hoodia in the US and hopes to overcome the negative image of the plant as a weight management ingredient.
Mars-owned Wrigley is to launch an energy chewing gum with the caffeine equivalent of half a cup of coffee in each piece but one analyst says the product misses the key youth market and could prove a lawsuit hazard.
Barry Callebaut has developed a formula to reduce the bitterness of high cocoa chocolate using green coffee that doesn’t give a coffee taste and ups antioxidant content.
