EU sugar supplies are at their most critical levels since the 2005 sugar reform and are causing ‘extreme volatility, instability and disruption’ to the European food and drink industry.
Inflated US sugar prices are threatening jobs throughout the country’s confectionery industry, warned the National Confectioners Association (NCA) in a letter to the US Department of Agriculture.
Surging cocoa supplies did little to prevent front month prices for cocoa (cocoa futures) creeping up by 4 per cent throughout August, according to Euromonitor. “The big surprise has been that this rise has taken place on the back of strong supply projections,”...
ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) Cocoa has extended its Unicao range of cocoa liquors produced from Ivory Coast cocoa beans, for use in premium milk and dark chocolate products.
Belgian chocolate firm Cavalier has confirmed that it is planning to launch the UK's first chocolate range containing stevia from January next year, while other launches across the EU will also follow initial listings in Belgium from November.
The EU is set to abolish the system of sugar production quotas for the bloc as well as guaranteed minimum prices from 2016, according to a Brussels source.
San-Diego-based flavor innovator Senomyx has started taste tests on novel fructose enhancers that could help amplify the sweet taste of fructose, a key component in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
A German research team has identified key aroma and taste compounds of cocoa relying on molecular sensory science and report a way to improve the taste of chocolate, which could manufacturers control and improve the flavour of cocoa products.
Global confectionery supplier Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is injecting US$4.4m (€3m) into its Ivory Coast cocoa programme as the country tries to recover from its recent civil turmoil and an EU ban on one of the region’s most important exports.
Sugar stocks should rise significantly from their current low levels, with analysts forecasting a global sugar surplus of around 9.5m tonnes in the 2011/12 (October-September) crop year, on the back of increased production in Europe and Asia.
Cargill’s drive to secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans is filtering down to famers in Cote d'Ivoire as it has just made premium payments totalling more than US $2.2m.
The European Commission will consider boosting the availability of sugar at its next tonnage tender meeting on August 25 after sharp rises in prices and calls from food manufacturers for it to increase sugar quotas or abandon them.
The potential health benefits of cocoa polyphenols may be linked to their anti-inflammatory potential, suggests data from a human study from the University of Barcelona, Spain.
A novel sucrose enhancer that could help firms slash sugar in products by up to 50 percent has been moved into the development phase at San-Diego-based flavor innovator Senomyx.
There will be no dramatic drop in cocoa prices in the coming months as forecast by numerous speculators hoping to cash in on a downward trend, reports a cocoa market specialist.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set the 2011-2012 sugar tariff rate quota and allowed extra specialty sugar to be made available from August 5, in response to increased demand for organic sugar.
Indonesia is the focus of an extension of Nestlé’s sustainable Cocoa Plan initiative, with the Swiss food group aiming to pump $4m (€2.7m) into bean production in that country.
The 20-year-old non-profit group, Toothfriendly, says its efforts to promote dental health have been boosted by recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) positive opinions – including non-European, developing world nations.
Nestlé said it has increased its donations of disease-resistant cocoa trees to farmers in Ivory Coast in a bid to boost the quality of the beans that are produced in the country.
Cargill’s Cocoa and Chocolate division is rolling out its Ivory Coast UTZ certification farmer training programme in Cameroon - a move the processor anticipates will dramatically boost sustainable cocoa output in the fourth largest producer country.
The Indonesian cocoa processing sector is ripe for further investment from multinational food manufacturers, a spokesperson from the country’s investment authority said.
November 2011 should see steviol glycosides get regulatory backing for use in food in drink products in the European market, according to a European Commission (EC) representative.
Confectionery giant Mars predicts a major cocoa shortage by 2020 and reveals harmonization of global cocoa certification programmes to ensure meaningful income hikes for farmers is one of its sustainable cocoa project goals.
Lacklustre demand for cocoa in Europe and North America and expectations of an average crop next season will see cocoa prices remain steady over the coming months, claims a market analyst.
A new education and training scheme in Ghana that aims to develop the country’s cocoa supply chain is the “first of its kind” for Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), says the firm.
The European Commission has defended its decision to release thousands of tonnes of sugar on to the market after accusations that the move would have a detrimental impact on the yeast industry.
Leading cocoa processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has announced it is kick-starting its Ivory Coast sustainable cocoa initiative – Serap – in Indonesia in a bid to boost cocoa quality from growers in that region.
Confectionery manufacturers in Germany are faced with sugar supply gaps and dramatic price rises despite EU regulatory intervention on the crucial food ingredient, argues the German chocolate and confectionery industry association.
Cargill has received the first ever shipment of UTZ cocoa in North America, a move which will be followed by other sustainable cocoa developments in the region, said the certifying body, as momentum gathers in the US market.
European Commission measures to open a further 200,000 tonne import quota for raw or refined sugar at zero import duty and the possibility for further imports at reduced import duty via a tendering system have been backed by member states.
With cocoa per-tonne prices standing at about €2080 in the aftermath of the Ivory Coast crisis, chocolate suppliers are coming to the fore with solutions to deliver ‘chocolateness’ with less chocolate content in goods like muffins and baked foods.
Prolonged drought in northern Europe has already capped yields of cereals and sugar beet and, without significant rainfall over the next two months, could significantly boost prices, warn analysts.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is to source UTZ certified cocoa for the first time, after Nigeria was granted sustainable recognition for its beans.
Barry Callebaut reports that it has resumed its exports from the Ivory Coast, following the recent resolution of the six-month long political crisis in the West African cocoa powerhouse.
Ivory Coast’s cocoa trade has been normalised, but uncertainly remains about the mid-crop, and and all eyes are now on the weather for the main crop, to be harvested this autumn, notes commodities specialist Rabobank it its latest review.
Reflecting the continuing industry trend toward outsourcing, Barry Callebaut said a new supply deal it has agreed with Hershey will put its annual deliveries beyond the current 80,000 metric tonnes.
Ivory Coast cocoa exports are unlikely to resume by this week, said Mintel, in response to reports that the country will start shipping the commodity from the beginning of May.
Cargill’s takeover of Schwartauer KVB has been cleared by the European Commission, giving the US giant the green light to phase in the operations of the German semi-finished cocoa supplier.
French supplier Roquette says recent positive health claim opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) linking sugar replacers with dental health, are applicable to soluble fibres.
Barry Callebaut, in a bid to meet its strategic need to diversify its cocoa origin and boost the viability of cocoa production in Malaysia, has announced a new research programme.
