Barry Callebaut has reported a slight dip in half-year profits as lower cocoa prices meant customers were paying less for the company’s range of cocoa ingredients compared to last year.
A Rainforest Foundation ethical food product guide based on companies’ palm oil use unjustly discourages the use of palm oil even if it is sustainably sourced, claims the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Scientists have outlined an eco-friendly test for certain synthetic food colours commonly used in soft drinks and sugar and gelatin-based confectionery.
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.
Cargill has been granted the Standard National of Indonesia (SNI) for its Gerkens cocoa powders produced in the Netherlands, enabling it to export the powders to the country.
Flavored almonds have a bright future as snacks and food ingredients, says Blue Diamond Growers as it opens a new innovation in Sacramento and plans to increase new almond product sales growth five-fold over the next five years.
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.
SunOpta plans to increase its cocoa processing capacity with a new facility in Middenmeer, Netherlands as it looks to grow its organic and specialty cocoa business to serve the specialty chocolate industry.
Kerry Ingredients & Flavours has acquired South African sweet ingredients firm Orley Foods for an undisclosed sum, in a deal it hopes will expand Kerry’s presence in sub-Saharan Africa.
Natural colours have overtaken their synthetic counterparts for the first time ever, and the trend towards clean label products is one of the key drivers according to new data from Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research.
ADM Cocoa has introduced a new intense cocoa powder at Gulfood in Dubai this week, tapping into consumer interest in richly coloured and intensely flavoured cocoa products.
Texture and stabilization specialist TIC Gums is now strong in gum arabic replacement for confection coatings, but this business shift started as a mere disaster plan, its president says.
Stevia’s credentials as a plant-derived sweetener and uptake from large manufacturers will prevent it from being seen as just another E-number, according to market research organisation Euromonitor.
Switching to natural colours can be an important product differentiator, as consumers around the world will always choose a natural product when given the option, says ingredient firm Chr. Hansen.
Barry Callebaut speaks to ConfectioneryNews.com about a growing trend for customization, rising demand for certified cocoa and its $950m bid to acquire Petra Foods’ cocoa ingredients division.
Sweden-based vegetable fats firm Aarhuskarlshamn AB (AAK) has reported increased operating profit for the fourth quarter, although volumes were hit by hurricane Sandy in the fourth quarter.
Taura Natural Ingredients’ newly launched gourmet fruit inclusion range plugs convenience, shelf-life and health for the artisanal baker, its marketing manager says.
Fairtrade International has said the number of farmers and workers benefitting from the system increased by 13% in 2011 as the food and drink industry continues to pledge its support, according to a new report.
Barry Callebaut has unveiled new cocoa and chocolate products at ISM in Cologne, including Cameroon origin cocoa for baked goods, and single origin chocolate from Cameroon and Java.
Cargill has said it intends to create a new sweeteners and starches joint venture in Saudi Arabia with agri-business firm Arasco, saying it will give the company a foothold in the fast-growing Middle East and North African market.
The International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM) has hit out at a recent study questioning the safety of food additive Brilliant Blue for children.
Barry Callebaut has acquired Sweden’s ASM Foods from Carletti and has taken over additional operations from Carletti in Demark to up its production capacity in Scandinavia.
There was a surprising lag in the launch of new products containing stevia in Europe last year – but look out for a sharp increase in 2013, says Euromonitor International’s head of ingredients research John Madden.
With Berg + Schmidt’s Indian deoiled lecithin plant in India now working to capacity, the lipid company has joined with its Volkmar Wywiol stablemate, Sternchemie, to invest in a Singapore plant for the production of pure soybean lecithin.
Consumer exposure to three caramel colours used in a variety of food and drink applications is ‘considerably lower’ than a 2011 scientific opinion published by EFSA suggested, says the Authority.
There is no end to the possibilities of functional chocolate bar development and firms must specialize to succeed in a sector dominated by big players, a Herza Schokolade product developer says.
Hershey has filed a patent for an alternative to conventional coating and robing of confectionery products that uses film coating normally used to encase medical pills.
Regulatory restrictions and lessons learned from other markets are shaping the way food manufacturers are using stevia-derived sweeteners in Europe, according to supplier PureCircle.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) claims that grape seed extracts can up the antioxidant content in cookies by 10 times when microencapsulated.
Taura Natural Ingredients has developed a range of natural concentrated fruit pieces to specifically target and cater to the needs of artisan chocolatiers and bakers.
The chief executive of Danish chocolate and extruded whipping cake emulsifiers major Palsgaard has outlined the reasons behind the company's recent significant investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
The trend toward natural colours for foods, drinks and sweets is here to stay – but raises huge technical challenges, according to Steve Tolliday, principal product technologist at Nestlé’s Product and Technology Centre in York, UK.
Belgian supplier Beneo’s dessert thinktank is showing off some product concepts using sugar-free, ‘tooth-friendly’ isomalt and an already launched oligofructose-stevia blends for functional fibre candy.
Consumers have high expectations of chocolate in terms of taste and mouthfeel – so how easy is it to tinker with chocolate formulations to create an indulgent product that also appeals to the health conscious consumer?
Rousselot has said it plans to increase gelatine prices 7% up to low double digit levels for 2013 as continued growth in demand has not been met by raw material supply.
German chemical group Wacker has developed a solid resin for gum bases that it claims halves processing times and eliminates the need for additional flavorings.
'Super grains' - from farro, spelt, kamut, millet, quinoa and amaranth to chia, freekeh and teff - are high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. They also come with a great backstory, a wholesome, whole grain image and in many cases, gluten-free...
Only an extraordinary pension return of Y27.7bn (€268m) dragged Japanese food, ingredients and pharma player Ajinomoto into the black for the March-September period as ordinary income slid 11% to Y39.2bn (€379m).
Portuguese confectioner Imperial-Produtos Alimentares has added a new passionfruit chocolate bar to its Regina brand as it looks to seize on a market trend for exotic flavors.
Researchers aiming to identify the aroma compounds behind the distinct smell of aromatic caramel have made ‘an important step forward’ by identifying the compounds responsible for certain sensory characteristics.
Shares jumped more than 3% to just over €24.05 this morning in Danish enzymes, colours and cultures company Chr Hansen as its yearly revenue hit €699m. Profits improved 10.7% to €131.3m for the 12 month period ended August 31.
