Chinese confectionery ingredient company Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Co is re-entering the finished chocolate products market, more than 10 years after selling that side of the business to Hershey's.
Barry Callebaut has extended its partnership with health-focused chocolate brand FlavaNaturals throughout 2018 to develop flavanol-rich products in the US.
Inaction is not an option for confectionery brands if they want to survive in an age of increased regulation on sugared products, writes Neil Davidson, managing director of brand agency HeyHuman.
Mondelēz International’s Milka Oreo and Storck’s Toffifay were among the winners of Kantar TNS’s 2018 Product of the Year Awards USA, based on a consumer survey of over 40,000 consumers.
The chocolate industry and supply chain actors recognize buying certified cocoa alone is not enough to make the supply chain sustainable. But what more needs to be done?
Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghana Cocoa Board to help reduce emissions in its cocoa supply chain, ‘one of the biggest threats to sustainable cocoa production.’
Snack industry experts have long suspected Mars Wrigley’s acquiring a minority stake from KIND Snacks last year was its first move to eventually swallow one of the trendiest snack bar makers in the US.
Nestlé has posted flat organic sales growth in confectionery in fiscal 2017, but saw an uptick for premium brands such as Les Recettes De L’Atelier and sales in direct-to-consumer KitKat stores.
Latvian company Chocolette Confectionary has developed patented technology to cut calories in dark chocolate by 45% and has launched own brand Red to target health conscious shoppers.
Premium chocolate manufacturer Russell Stover stepped out on the chilly Valentine’s morning in Chicago, giving away over 5,000 heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.
NGO Mighty Earth is calling on chocolate makers to expand deforestation-free commitments after finding widespread forest destruction driven by cocoa in Indonesia, Peru, Ecuador and Cameroon.
Trian Fund Management CEO Nelson Peltz, who pushed for a merger between Mondelēz and PepsiCo five years ago, will stand down from Mondelez’s Board of Directors as the Cadbury maker names two new members.
Nestlé USA faces a fresh class action lawsuit in the US for allegedly failing to disclose its chocolate brands may use cocoa from unlawful child or slave labor.
Premium chocolate company has secured a listing for new brand Nutty Thins at Carrefour in Belgium as it hopes to broaden distribution beyond department stores and fine foods outlets.
Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar, Dylan Lauren, recently said the company plans to launch a range of healthy candies soon that include vegan and gluten-free products.
Free-from labelled foods seem healthier, with GM-free and palm oil-free labels having the strongest effect, according to a study of almost 2000 French, Swedish, British and Polish individuals.
Swedish firm AarhusKarlshamm AB (AAK) has reported ‘record-high’ operating profit of SEK 471m ($58m) for Q4 2017, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.
Mars plans to quit industry-funded science group, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), and says it will support research regardless of results after making its science policy public.
United Confectioners’ Red October Factory and Ukranian frim Roshen have each been ordered to pay costs after failing in EU trademark appeals concerning whether a crab design resembled a crayfish design.
Clean label can imply a base level of health for confectionery products, whose high-sugar and high-fat status can make consumption hard to justify, says a new report by Euromonitor.
The chocolate industry must look beyond cocoa alone to avert another big drop in cocoa prices, says the organizer of chocolate festival and cocoa conference Chocoa.
Vegan, sugar free and exotic flavors are among the contributors that made Brazilian confections popular in Europe last year, as Brazilian exports of sweets, snacks and ingredients to the EU grew by over 73% in value, according to trade body ABICAB.
Mondelēz’s new CEO Dirk Van de Put, who replaced Irene Rosenfeld last November, called 2017 ‘a solid year’ as the company’s organic sales during Q4 and full fiscal year 2017 grew 2.4% and 0.9% respectively.
Nine major cocoa and chocolate companies have committed $8.5m to an initiative aiming to prove a business case to improve the quality of education in Ivorian cocoa communities.
Swedish confectioner Cloetta will discontinue its Candyking business in Poland in 2018 as it does not see profit growth in the market, says CEO and president Henri de Sauvage-Nolting.
UK campaign group Action on Sugar is calling on the government to prohibit confectionery price promotions and to introduce a candy tax of at least 20%.
Newcomer MIA has its sights on Europe with a selection of premium dark chocolate tablets produced in Madagascar, which use fine flavor cocoa from the country.
Japanese confectionery giant Meiji is expanding production of health-focused chocolate in response to the growing consumer demand for cocoa’s purported health benefits.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Materials Challenge
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has been recognized by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a Circular Materials Challenge winner for its compostable, lightweight cellulose film, which could be commercialized in 3-5 years.
