Stationery made from the pruned bark of cocoa trees contributes to a sustainable cocoa bean supply and allows confectioners to deliver a marketing story, according to supplier Cocoa Paper.
Superheated steam roasting retains more phenols and flavonoids during cocoa processing than the conventional roasting method, according to research by Universiti Sains in Malaysia.
Natra is developing a range of Spanish olive oil, cheese and wine filled chocolates; the company hopes that the integration of these Mediterranean ingredients will put Spain on the map for chocolate.
An analyst has called Milka’s recent selective marketing a “masterclass” in how to implement cost-efficient, brand equity building strategies against a backdrop of an industry in “turmoil”.
Waste shells from cocoa processing are rich in fibre and antioxidants and carry great potential as food ingredients, according to Australian plantation-to-bar manufacturer Daintree Estates.
Barry Callebaut is prepared to supply more certified cocoa if the industry demands it, but with 12% total cocoa volumes coming from ‘sustainable’ sources it says it already has more sustainable cocoa products than the market currently wants.
The company behind Australia’s first single origin chocolate says the country’s cocoa is rich in polyphenols and is set for a big future. Its executive chairman, Cadbury veteran Barry Kitchen talks to ConfectioneryNews.
A substance found in chocolate and sold by health food stores to enhance mood has been found to reduce the number of E.coli O157:H7 cells on beef meat pieces by up to 90%.
Mondelez International has fallen short of sales expectations in the third quarter (Q3) as the slowing Chinese economy dented consumption, particularly in its biscuit category.
Barry Callebaut has recorded a 4.9% drop in net profit for the fiscal year 2012/13 as it integrates Petra Foods’ cocoa business and experiences capacity constraints.
Korean confectioner Lotte is aiming to increase its overseas sales six fold in the next five years led by growth in China, India and Russia, the firm said in its first half (H1) results.
Halloween confectionery sales are expected to grow in line with the overall market in Europe, but there are notably differences among EU countries, according to industry association Caobisco.
Consumers desire flavors and packaging that evoke the wider Fall season and not just Halloween, says Hershey as the choc giant introduces a string of products to make the most of the period.
Slow growth in French confectionery runs deeper than the economic crisis since consumers are simply more health-conscious than their European cousins, according to market research.
US Halloween sales are expected to rise just 1% this year as the season falls on a weekday meaning people are less likely to plan parties, says the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
Spanish cocoa processor Natra has posted a net loss in its 9-month results which it attributed to rising cocoa prices amid speculation of industry consolidation.
Premium international brands for China’s increasingly affluent population could be instrumental in raising low domestic chocolate consumption, according to market researchers Canadean.
Hershey is expecting the chocolate category to increase advertising spend in the next year to promote a growing number of innovations, which will leverage category growth.
Scottish chocolate start-up, IQ Chocolate, has high hopes for its “raw” dark chocolate bars within the high quality, functional foods sector and is currently in the initial stages of preparing a dossier for a health claim.
The premium private label chocolate industry is becoming increasing interested in the subtleties of cocoa and is willing to sacrifice single origins for a flavorsome blend, according to French chocolatier Cémoi.
Business skills are as important to cocoa farmers as material addressed in field schools, says the program director of Olam and Blommer Chocolate’s independently-run joint venture project Grow Cocoa.
North America’s third quarter cocoa grind is the highest of any quarter since the National Confectioners Association began to collaborate data for the US, Mexico and Canada in 2009. The Asian Q3 cocoa grind has also jumped 12%.
Mondelēz International’s heat resistant chocolate, new product development and increased penetration in under-represented parts of the world offers the company considerable potential for the future, chocolate head Bharat Puri has claimed.
Nestlé organic sales growth slowed to 4.4% in the first nine months of the year, compared to 6.1% in the same period last year, hit by weaker demand from emerging markets and ongoing recession in Europe.
France’s leading private label chocolate maker Cémoi sees little growth in the European chocolate market and hopes instead to promote its branded goods in Asia and in the developing US private label market.
Confectionery giant Mars has defended its use of artificial colors in M&Ms after being urged to ditch them in a petition on change.org accompanied by a press release from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) describing them as “neurotoxic...
Oreo maker Mondelez International will introduce video display units near checkouts that estimate a person’s age and gender to deliver targeted advertising.
Chocolate production is still growing in developed markets, but volumes are growing at a faster pace in Eastern European countries like Poland, data from Leatherhead Food Research shows.
Special Edition - Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
Choosing equipment that allows you to access critical areas for inspection is essential to limiting water use during production, but some processes are better suited to a wet wash, says equipment supplier Sollich.
Special Edition: Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
Auditory testing to measure the crunch noise a product will make when it is chewed in the mouth is quickly becoming widespread in the confectionery industry.
Special Edition: Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
The confectionery industry will move from aluminum surfaces on processing and packaging equipment to stainless steel in the next five years in order to raise sanitation standards, according to Bosch.
Special Edition: Hygienic Design & Quality Testing
Retailers are piling the pressure on confectioners to swap paper records for quicker mobile scanning technology to trace the source of raw ingredients, protecting them in the event of a recall, according to computing firm Intermec.
Mars Chocolate North America claims pushing year-round sharing occasions is key to getting US chocolate consumption on par with high levels observed in many Western European nations.
Adding low levels of red and black pigments to chocolate prior to aeration can prevent aerated chocolate from getting lighter and potentially putting off consumers, according to a patent filed by Unilever.
Equipment supplier Carle&Montanari-OPM has spotted a rise in the use of retail-ready packaging among confectionery firms in the US and claims picker cell robots allow great flexibility to pack pre-merchandized chocolate and candy.
Soaring cocoa butter prices have upped the cost of chocolate bar manufacture in Europe by 25% in the past 12 months, according to commodity analysts Mintec, which claims the cocoa deficit will worsen.
Chocolate makers are increasingly opting for dried fruit inclusions over sharper flavor additions like chilli and nuts because of their perceived healthy image and flavor enhancing properties, according to confectionery equipment supplier Egan Food Technologies...
