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.
UTZ Certified argues that guaranteeing cocoa farmers a premium distorts the market by discouraging them from adopting good agricultural practices as they are guaranteed a premium regardless of quality. Fairtrade International disagrees.
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.
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%.
The tonnage of cocoa beans processed in Europe in the third quarter by the likes of Barry Callebaut and Cargill has risen by 4.7%. Euromonitor says the industry is playing catch up and rising cocoa butter prices may led to more expensive chocolate for...
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.
Barry Callebaut has opened its first chocolate factory in Turkey, while SunOpta has completed a organic and specialty cocoa processing facility in the Netherlands.
Sweeteners are widely used to replace sugar in diet and low calorie products within the food and beverage industry. However, many consumers are still worried about these ingredients. So, what are the facts behind low calorie sweeteners?
Rising dark chocolate consumption is driving up prices, according to data from Euromonitor International, with China, Switzerland and the US having the highest retail value.
It is hard to fool the brain by providing it with 'energyless' sweet flavours, according to new research in mice that suggests that consumption of zero-calorie sweeteners leads to higher sugar consumption later.
The Indonesian deputy trade minister has said that after successfully increasing domestic cocoa grinding capacity the country should lower cocoa bean import duties to prevent shortages in the future.
Mondelez International has filed a patent for a method to give black cocoa powder its rich color using fewer environmentally damaging chemicals and no iron salts.
The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has slightly reduced its cocoa deficit forecast for the current crop year and says there are ample stocks for chocolate manufacturers, but a deficit next year could raise prices.
Barry Callebaut's R&D department talks to ConfectioneryNews after winning a blood flow health claim for cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate and cocoa beverages.
A case alleging child labor abuses by Hershey in West Africa should be dismissed for lack of evidence, according to a Master’s report in the Court of Chancery in Delaware.
Cadbury will invest in trials to commercially cultivate cocoa in Australia for the first time as it sets out plans to upgrade its production facility in Tasmania.
The success of isoglucose in the EU largely depends on whether food and drink companies decide to make the switch from sugar, says managing director of the European Starch Industry Association Jamie Fortescue.
Demand for sustainable cocoa is growing in mature markets and the Middle East is beginning to move away from compound chocolate, according to the head of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate’s revamped sales team.
Fair Trade USA has finalized its labeling policy after over six months of consultation. NGO Fair World Project supports some of the changes but feels the policy does not go far enough to combat exploitative sugar sourcing.
Moldova, Tadzhikistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus have all announced that their independent inspections of chocolate produced by Ukrainian confectionery firm Roshen found no health risks for consumers, despite accusations from Russia to the contrary.
Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.
Cargill has become the first to supply UTZ Certfied Cocoa from Brazil to help manufacturers realize sustainability commitments in the South American market.
Hershey has launched an initiative to double the cocoa output in Nigeria, which is forecast to register a 20% decline this crop year due to adverse weather and diseases.
ASR Group-owned Tate & Lyle Sugars is considering legal action against The Guardian newspaper over a story published this week accusing the sugar giant of working with a Cambodian supplier that employed child labour among other human right abuses.
Barry Callebaut has opened its first Cocoa Center of Excellence to teach best practices for sustainable cocoa farming in Côte d'Ivoire, the world’s number one cocoa-producing country.
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is in discussions to sell its cocoa processing operations. We find out how potential industry consolidation could affect the cocoa supply.
SPECIAL EDITION: HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL CONFECTIONERY
The meteoric emergence of cocoa flavanols as the new 'super ingredient' continues, with many new scientific publications focused on the potential health effects of these special compounds. As part of this special edition, we take a look at some...
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is holding discussions to sell its cocoa ingredients business - a business unit that saw profits plunge 24% last year.
Mars Drinks says it sees huge global potential for single-serve hot drinks machines and consumables in the high-growth office environment, and predicts ‘tremendous growth’ in emerging markets.
The European Commission has released a fourth round of out-of-quota sugar for the current marketing year at reduced levies in a bid to boost EU supplies as prices soar above world levels.
Corporate sustainability programs do not go far enough to stamp out child labor on cocoa farms - only third party certification will do, says a new campaign.
The chocolate and cocoa industry has pledged $3m in new funds to global cocoa sustainability as major firms including Mondelez, Hershey and Cargill talk about their new initiatives.
Lawrence T. Graham, president of the National Confectioners Association (NCA) said sugar industry reform is needed to keep the American confectionery industry competitive.
