Along with the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting, Chocoa’s Cocoa Sustainability Conference, Amsterdam Cocoa Week was also the setting for the Cacao of Excellence awards, which recognize excellence in cacao cultivation while supporting and encouraging...
Picking up the baton from the World Cocoa Foundation Meeting, the Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, organised by Chocoa, moved into the Beurs van Berlage for a further two days of discussion and debate on key policy issues affecting the global chocolate...
Hershey is launching a multi-year cost-savings strategy that will lean heavily on enhanced automation and a more efficient operating model, which could result in job cuts, to help offset historically high cocoa prices and elevated sugar costs that are...
Chocolate and candy's role as a social currency has been reinforced during the Valentine’s Day season in the US, with 92% of Americans claiming they plan to share confectionery with friends, family, and loved ones.
The World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting ended as it began, with an address from President Chris Vincent. Two days ago, in his opening remarks, he struck an upbeat chord, pleased with the internal changes in the organisation and a strategy refresh...
As Las Vegas prepares for the estimated $215bn economic growth from the additional 215,00 visitors for the Super Bowl, CPG companies and retailers have a significant opportunity to feature value-added offerings for viewers across the country, according...
Premium Dutch ethical brand Tony’s Chocolonely has reported record revenue growth of €150m ($162m) while successfully scaling up its sustainable impact model with six new partners joining its collaborative industry initiative.
Apart from farmer income/poverty, the most discussed topic on day one of the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam was the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that will be implemented at the end of this year.
In his opening remarks at this year’s World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam, Chris Vincent, president of the WCF, said this year's conference theme, ‘aligning for global action,’ underscores the critical interconnectedness between...
With its link between Europe, North America, and the rest of Latin America, the tiny country on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola is set to be a significant player for premium cocoa as demand soars due to a global shortage of beans.
Ahead of The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam this week, the organisation has announced that Mawuli Coffie will be its country director for the WCF Ghana Office as part of a new senior leadership team spearheading an ambitious...
Two new recruits will join the senior leadership team at Mars Wrigley Global Emerging Markets (GEM) as the snacking business looks to strengthen its global position and innovation offering.
Plant-for-the-Planet has launched a free app that smallholder farmers can use to check their own farms and share their data with trading partners – and know within minutes whether they can continue importing into the EU under its new deforestation regulations.
That was one of the burning questions from our recent webinar on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is still available on demand from the link at the end of this article. As companies scramble to create robust due diligence procedures,...
Meiji has joined hands with skincare and cosmetic brand Albion in launching chocolates and jelly drinks containing glucosylceramide, which Meiji claims is a moisturising ingredient derived from cacao.
ISM and ProSweets Cologne wrapped up a successful four days earlier this week, showcasing a raft of new products and trends for the confectionery industry, after the one-off postponement of ISM last year.
Leading commodities supplier ofi has announced Roel van Poppel as its chief sustainability officer (CSO), taking responsibility for scaling the group’s ability to drive positive impact across its five leading product platforms - cocoa, coffee, dairy,...
The founder of startup Harken Sweets, which launched earlier this month, wants to “nutritionally overhaul” the candy bar category by using “the power of the date fruit,” like how she helped Caulipower reinvigorate the pizza category with the “power of...
EverSweet, a stevia sweetener made via fermentation rather than stevia leaf extraction, is one step closer to market entry in Europe having received positive safety opinions in the EU and UK.
It’s almost 10 months since we last spoke with Chris Vincent, the president of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). As he prepares for the upcoming Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam (6-7 February), he gives an exclusive and wide-ranging interview to ConfectioneryNews...
A new report from Fairtrade International has highlighted that cocoa farmers who were paid a ‘living income reference price’ earned, on average, 15% more compared to government-regulated farmgate prices in origin countries.
Greenwashing around sustainability hurts the growth of important initiatives for the environment, society and animal welfare, but when companies make honest, transparent and science-backed claims about their sustainability, consumer trust is not only...
If you believe you have a groundbreaking answer that solves a global challenge – either as an established startup or at the start of your journey – EIT Food is inviting you to apply for one of its 2024 entrepreneurship programs.
Amsterdam Cocoa Week promises an ‘epic collaboration’ when it opens on Monday 5 February at the Beurs van Berlage, the city’s former stock exchange building, where joining forces under one roof will be high-level sustainability conferences Chocoa, the...
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has warned that a rise in freight rates due to conflict in the Red Sea also added to costs for chocolate producers.
Mars has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Hotel Chocolat, a UK premium chocolate brands, after ConfectioneryNews reported in November 2023, that the company had reached agreement with Hotel Chocolat’s Board on the terms of the acquisition,...
ProSweets Cologne and ISM have lined up a strong ‘Sweet Week’ when it opens on Sunday 28 January attracting hundreds of international exhibitors showcasing at the city’s Koelnmesse exhibition centre.
According to analysts, Barry Callebaut has posted a slight rise in sales volumes in three months to the end of November ahead of a challenging and overall declining chocolate confectionery market due to inflation that is squeezing household budgets.
Ekachai Savetsomphob, Managing Director of Sino-Pacific, Thailand’s largest food and snack imported is being honoured with the ISM Award 2024 for his contribution and fluence in the development of the market in Southeast Asia.
Approaching its 170th anniversary, the Manchester-based company is one of the largest and longest established biscuit (cookie) manufacturers in the UK, producing hundreds of millions of biscuits annually.
The prices of raw bakery and confectionery ingredients continued to fluctuate throughout the past year, with sugar and cocoa hitting yearly highs as wheat and almonds decreased year-on-year.
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has announced the eight confectionery industry professionals selected for its 2024 Future Leadership Programme.
A collaboration between two Finnish companies – Solar Foods and Fazer – has seen protein ‘made from air’ added to a chocolate snack bar for consumers in Singapore.
KitKat, one of Nestlé’s most popular and innovative confectionery brands, will now become its most sustainable after the company announced the snack bar will be made with 100% chocolate sourced from the Income Accelerator Programme (IAP)
A new industry group known as Fairmade is working to raise awareness in the cocoa sector of the benefits of producing chocolate at the origin of ingredients in developing countries.
December 30, 2024 marks the day by which supply chain stakeholders, including producers, importers, manufacturers, brands, and retailers within the European Union must ensure they are selling, importing and exporting EUDR compliant cocoa, coffee, palm...
GNT, the company behind EXBERRY food colors, will demonstrate how its plant-based, sustainable portfolio can help maximize product appeal for manufacturers at ProSweets Cologne, which runs this year from 28-31 January.
The global landscape of food consumption is undergoing a significant shift with the introduction of sugar taxes in over 120 countries. These initiatives are primarily aimed at guiding consumers towards healthier lifestyle choices by reducing the intake...
Consumers are increasingly focusing on their health without compromising on taste, which is why healthy indulgence has become a serious trend. Millennials (Gen Y) and Centennials (Gen Z) are looking for foods and beverages that are tasty, good for you,...
New research from Mintel into global chocolate and confectionery consumption has uncovered contrasting behaviours in different nations, including Germany and the US, and suggests behaviours could be changing over time as the trend for healthy indulgence...
The notion of ‘healthy indulgence’ represents a shift of emphasis – and an exciting opportunity – for confectioners, chocolatiers, and bakers who are only too well aware that consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious and interested in sugar...
Swiss premium chocolate company Lindt & Sprüngli is among the leading players in the premium chocolate space with a presence in over 120 countries worldwide and a portfolio of chocolate brands including Russell Stover, Ghirardelli, Caffarel, Lindor,...
At the end of 2023, Colombian sustainable brand Chocolate Cordillera announced that 106 female cocoa farmers from Urabá Antioquia had completed the first module of its ATENEA sustainability program, giving some the confidence to become fully independent...
The Rainforest Alliance certification platform has called for more support for smallholder cocoa farmers to ensure they are not unintentionally excluded from the EU market under the new deforestation regulations.
A new era of convenience will emerge in 2024 as ever-evolving augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology streamlines consumers’ meal planning, shopping and cooking habits.
Achieving sustainable growth in the cocoa sector will be at the forefront of those taking part or visiting Amsterdam Cocoa Week in February where two important conferences are back-to-back and under one roof.
Vegan and free from chocolate brand, NOMO says it ‘won big’ at the 2023 Veggie Awards, taking home gold in the Vegan Snacks category for its Caramel Filled Bar.
Apart from the positive impact on the planet - potentially preventing millions of tonnes of fruit waste – cacao fruit opens up new categories after the pulp, juice, and powder from the cocoa pod are used, according to latest research.