News & Analysis on Chocolate, Candy and Cocoa
Sir Jim Walker CBE has been honoured with the 2024 Wallace Award by the American Scottish Foundation, celebrating the brand’s contribution to transatlantic relations. How has Walker’s Shortbread managed to thrive in one of the world’s most competitive...
Continuing our series on disruptive startups, we explore the rise of NICK’s, a Swedish-style snack brand that’s making a splash on the US market by redefining diabetes- and keto-friendly treats that don’t skimp on taste. What’s the brand’s secret?
News
Eat My Logo, a producer of logo branded cakes and biscuits, has acquired personalised chocolate gifts maker Cocoapod.
Exciting trends to watch emerge as the much-loved treats evolve to match environmental and health-led consumer demands.
When Mondelēz International searches externally for savoury snack and confectionery innovation, what kinds of start-ups is it looking for?
Financial results
Mondelēz International has maintained the company expects Organic Net Revenue growth of 3% to 5% in its 2024 Outlook after the Cadbury parent beat market expectations for first-quarter sales and profit.
Sweets & Snacks Expo 2024
The annual Sweets & Snacks Expo convenes thousands of confectionery and snack industry professionals and hundreds of chocolate and candy companies for the largest trade event in North America. After 25 years in Chicago, it is moving on to a new home in...
After more than four decades with his family-owned business, Daniel Javier Servijte Montull is passing on the CEO baton, having built up an impressive legacy: Bimbo today is 8x larger than when he became CEO in 1997, has completed 93 acquisitions and...
M&As
Premium chocolate brand GODIVA joins the pladis portfolio of iconic brands after a process that started in 2023. Prior to its integration, GODIVA Company was acquired in 2008 by pladis’ parent company, Yıldız Holding of Türkiye.
Better-for-you cookie brand Mmmly is seeking capital through the crowdfunding platform Wefunder as it readies for a nationwide expansion, brand founder and CEO Nicholas Naclerio told FoodNavigator-USA.
SOTIC 2024
The NCA launched the second season of its award-winning streaming series, The Sweet Life, at its State of the Industry Conference for a behind-the-scenes look at the secrets of the confectionery industry.
SOTIC 2024
Confectionery sales in the United States hit $48 billion in 2023 (up from $42.6bn in 2022 ), according to the National Confectioners Association’s 2024 State of Treating report, which was released at its Cconference in Miami this week.
SOTIC 2024
National Confectioners Association (NCA) president & CEO John Downs opened this year’s State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) by celebrating 10 years at the helm with the reminder that industry plays an important role in the US economy.
A&P Foods Limited has rebranded as pladis Foods Nigeria to align with the corporate branding and global standing of the McVitie’s maker.
ISM/ProSweets 2024
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.
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.
ProSweets Cologne 24
More than 30 ingredients specialists are set to attend ProSweets Cologne, the supplier fair that runs along side ISM sweets and snacks trade show, to offer natural and sustainable solutions that contain less sugar or carry a clean label declaration.
Consumers still crave familiar flavors and experiences, as they did during the pandemic, but they also are open to new innovations and technologies -- leading to an emerging trend of 'newstalgia,' Kevin Ryan, CEO, Malachite Strategy and Research,...
While traditional amylase-based enzymes have helped bakery snacks improve shelf-life and freshness, its efficacy is limited if the dough contains high amounts of sugar. Kerry’s anti-staling enzyme, Biobake Fresh Rich addresses freshness and moisture for...
Manufacturing
The former Nestlé factory at Fawdon, Newcastle, due to shut at the end of December, has been bought by British baker Country Style Foods, which makes bread, cakes and baked goods, it has been revealed.
News
The manufacturer of the cookie and mini biscuits brand is launching a 360-marketing campaign, including social and in-store campaigns and a new TV advert, as it debuts new-look packaging.
Financial results
In a market statement relating to its nine-month sales for 2023, Nestlé said growth was broad-based across most geographies and categories.
The Mexican bakery giant has opened applications for the second round of its Bimbo Open Door Platform, designed to leverage the creativity of startups to boost its presence and competition within the global biscuit and energy bar sectors.
The world’s largest baking company has racked up yet another accolade on the coveted list: as the best Mexican company in the world; in fourth spot within the global F&B category; and 113 overall out of the 750 companies analysed.
Thailand-based Bangkok Cookies is planning to expand its presence into more export markets as well as eyeing plans for local supermarket retail after having achieved resounding success as a souvenir product in the travel retail scene.
Burton’s Foods - now operating as Fox’s Burton’s Companies (FBC UK) under a Ferrero-related company - enlisted 42 Technology (42T) to investigate the feasibility of replacing its gas-fired ovens with electric ovens to help cut its carbon emissions.
The global hotel behemoth has collaborated with black-owned, women-led, allergy-friendly disruptor Partake Foods to produce the new cookie to ensure that every guest can experience its unique welcome at check-in.
Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV acquired Natural Bakery in Winnipeg, Canada, and made a minority investment in Delaware-based Olyra Foods during its first quarter, which saw net profit down 9.4%, citing the sale of its confectionary business in the same quarter of...
ISM/ProSweets 2023
Koelnmesse, organisers of ISM 2023, said health, sustainability and creative flavours will be among this year's trends in the sweets and snacks section, when the trade fair convenes in Cologne from 23 to 25 April 2023 with approximately1,300 exhibitors...
Univar Solution Colombia has signed an exclusive agreement to distribute Kalsec’s full portfolio of natural ingredients in Colombia.
Alexandre Zigliara is stepping into the role as president of Clif Bar, succeeding Sally Grimes, who has served as the high-flying company’s CEO since May 2020.
Sweets & Snacks Expo 2023
The Sweets & Snacks Expo has announced registration is now open for the 2023 show, which takes place at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago from 22 to 25 May.
Mondelēz International has released its 2022 State of Snacking report, which reveals that, for the fourth consecutive year, snacking remains a preference over traditional meals, even though consumers are feeling the crunch of the current economy.
The Black-owned and woman-founded vegan and allergy-friendly producer has officially become a Certified B Corporation, hot on the heels of its partnerships with Eat. Learn. Play., The Birthday Project and #HashtagLunchbag in 2023.
British Columbia-based startup Sundays is on a mission to reinvent iconic chocolate sandwich cookie brand Oreos with a zero sugar positioning.
Healthy snacking
While snacking has long been associated with indulgence and fulfilling a guilty craving, a raft of new offers are popping up on the market that more closely align with consumers’ holistic wellness goals.
The Californian better-for-you snack producer has made a $1m endowment to Tuskegee University in Alabama – a Historically Black College and University – to support the advancement of organic farming practices through the University’s College of...
SnackFutures – the innovation and venture hub of the Oreo maker – has opened applications for CoLab 2023, a start-up engagement programme created to unearth trailblazers that are ‘pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in making a snack delicious’.
Protein bars are central to the narrative of sports nutrition going mainstream, according to Nutrition Integrated founder, Nick Morgan, speaking at the launch of Arla Foods Ingredients new protein concept.
Webinar
For most bakery producers, the clean label concept involves making use of as few ingredients as possible that consumers recognise as wholesome and natural. But today, clean also means green, highlighting opportunities for ingredients and products that...
EU legislation on acrylamide is set to be renewed next year, meaning its crunch time for a number of manufacturers who are still producing biscuits and cookies with acrylamide levels above the 350 ppb benchmark level (BML).
Her Majesty the Queen passed away peacefully yesterday (8 September) at Balmoral at the age of 96. BakeryandSnacks takes this opportunity to say 'thank you' to the monarch and gracious lady who reigned for 70 years, and counted chocolate biscuit cake and...
The UK woke up this morning (7 September) to a new leader and with hopes the new government will immediately take steps to alleviate the crushing living prices that are badly impacting consumers and putting industry at risk.
Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) has developed a plug and play solution – meaning it can be used as is or within a recipe – to helps snack producers create bars with a high protein content in every layer.
NPD
Plant-based chocolate brand LoveRaw has launched its latest innovative new vegan product – the Caramelised Biscuit Cre&m Wafer.
Events
The announcement by Koelnmesse, organisers of the ISM sweets and snacks trade fair, that it is moving the event to April next year appears to be paying off, having recorded high levels of interest from the confectionery industry.
R&D
Mondelēz International has launched eight non-HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products across its biscuits, confectionery, and drinking chocolate lines in the UK.
The maker of America’s No. 1 cupcake, mini doughnut and sugar-free cookie brands reported second-quarter revenue of $340.5m, exceeding Wall Street forecasts.
Trends
Fortified protein snacks are proving popular with European consumers, who are demanding more choices and better-tasting products, according to new research.
Melior Equity Partners has made a major investment in Rose Confectionery, a producer of biscuits, confectionery and savoury snacks, that also has long-standing freeze pop manufacturing licences with Slush Puppie, Vimto, Robinsons and Tango, among others.