19 Sep 2018 --- The Barry Callebaut Group has signed an agreement with Burton’s Biscuit Company, the UK’s second biggest biscuit manufacturer, for the long-term supply of over 12,000 metric tons of chocolate and compound per year. The transaction is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approval by the competent authorities.
13 Sep 2018 --- The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has published a new study examining how the sector impacts the US economy. At the same time, representatives from leading confectionery companies are in Washington for NCA’s 2018 Washington Forum, an annual fly-in program that connects the industry to members of Congress, government officials and other stakeholders.
13 Aug 2018 --- Synergy Flavours has launched a newly developed Ruby Chocolate flavor to add to its wide range of chocolate flavor profiles. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Hugh Evans, Marketing Manager for Europe and Asia at Synergy Flavours says: “Our team of flavorists were able to use sensory analysis results directly from Ruby chocolate itself, resulting in them being able to capture the most authentic flavor possible.”
26 Jul 2018 --- The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has dismissed an appeal by the confectionery giant, Nestlé, which argued that it owns the shape of the iconic chocolate bar: Kit Kat. Nestlé has spent more than a decade fighting to trademark the four-fingered wafer shape, but this week, the four-fingered chocolate bar lost its EU-wide protected trademark status, meaning that this could be the end to the snack’s protected status in Europe.
23 Jul 2018 --- A sugar-reduced version of the iconic British chocolate bar Dairy Milk will hit the shelves next year as confectionery giants Cadbury progresses with its initiative to drive down sugar in its products. In a bid to help consumers manage their sugar intake and launched against a backdrop of changing consumer preferences, Cadbury Dairy Milk will be available in a new bar with 30 percent less sugar as from 2019.
16 Jul 2018 --- Barry Callebaut has released its nine-month key sales figures for the fiscal year 2017/18 which has shown good group momentum and volume growth that is significantly above the global chocolate confectionery market, according to the company. In the first nine months of fiscal year 2017/18 (ended May 31, 2018), the manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products grew its sales volume by 6.9 percent to 1,512,853 tons.
09 Jul 2018 --- Almost two decades ago, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child declared that all children should be protected from dangerous work or anything that might harm their health or education. There is a very long way to go on this journey, however, as stark statistics reveal. Today, there are still 152 million child laborers worldwide, many of whom are carrying out harmful and exploitative tasks on a daily basis. More than two million of these children work on cocoa farms in West Africa; a region where Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate (Cargill Cocoa) sources most of its cocoa beans.
07 Jul 2018 --- Today marks World Chocolate Day 2018 and July 7 is dedicated to all things cocoa-based. Despite concerns about health and obesity, chocolate remains a popular treat worldwide. World Chocolate Day supposedly marks the day when chocolate was first brought to Europe in 1550 and has been observed since 2009 globally. However, there has been a slight shift in consumer tastes. The focus on obesity and the health agenda has made many consumers transfer allegiance to lower sugar and fat confectionery products. However, to ensure chocolate is still a firm favorite for many years to come, confectionery manufacturers have been working hard to offer healthier versions of existing products, as well as new innovations.
05 Jul 2018 --- Nestlé has opted to revamp its packaging for KitKat Senses, following in the trend to offer chocolate in small portion-packed, flow-wraps which tap into the “sharing trend” and offer a “wow effect” when opened, Svetlana Kourianova, European Key Account Manager at AR Packaging tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
04 Jul 2018 --- The low-sugar, organic, date-sweetened kAAKAO bar should be called “chocolate,” according to the founder of Nordchocolate Oy, the company behind the innovation. kAAKAO wants their product to be a leading light in driving revisions to the EU laws, which presently constitute not only a challenging barrier to the market but are also prohibitive consumers’ demands for healthier choices, it says.
28 Jun 2018 --- Puratos is launching Cacao-Trace, a sustainable cocoa sourcing program in Papua New Guinea. The launch comes after the successful introduction of the program in Vietnam, Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines.
28 May 2018 --- Prova has launched a new range of cocoa extracts and flavors, which, according to Ursula Kingsbury, Prova’s Vice President, delivers a high impact and authentic chocolate taste. The variety of extracts are eight times stronger than cocoa powder and with a longer shelf-life, the company reports.
25 May 2018 --- Nestlé is strengthening its R&D operations by bringing together its two scientific discovery units, the Nestlé Research Center (NRC) and the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS), to build one “impactful organization.” Nestlé Research will be a combination of what the group describes as “world-renowned research facilities,” with highly complementary capabilities capable of taking the research work of Nestlé to a new level.
24 May 2018 --- Pralines already feature in several popular ice cream and dessert brands globally and despite somewhat limited availability, the flavor is proving to be very popular. According to Pecan Deluxe Candy, this may be down in part to one trend that Australia can call its own – a growing interest in nut butter which merits the highest online search rating in the world.
22 May 2018 --- Barry Callebaut has announced the expansion of its dairy-free chocolate product portfolio, the new Pathway range which is set to premiere at this year’s annual Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, Illinois on May 22-24, 2018. With consumers demanding more dairy-free options across food categories, Pathway offers a range of dairy-free chocolate solutions, that is ready to use for myriad applications, including confectionery, baked goods, cereals and snack products.
25 Apr 2018 --- Indulgence has long been known as a key driver for chocolate NPD, but nowadays consumers are looking for a healthier chocolate experience. According to Innova Market Insights, 11 percent of global chocolate products have an indulgent and premium positioning in 2017 and globally, 23 percent of all chocolate launches tracked in 2017 carry a texture claim. Social eating occasions are driving the trend for sharing bags and easy to share formats across the confectionery, bakery and snacking segments.
25 Apr 2018 --- Mondelēz International’s iconic chocolate brand Milka is joining the confectionery giant’s sustainable cocoa sourcing program, Cocoa Life – and there are plans to add the entire Milka chocolate European portfolio by the end of next year.
11 Apr 2018 --- Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has reported a sales volumes increase of 8.0 percent in the first half of the company’s fiscal year 2017/18 results, which is significantly above the global chocolate market growth rate of +2.5 percent, helped by a strong performance in Europe and accelerating growth in the Americas.
10 Apr 2018 --- Nestlé is unveiling KitKat Ruby to chocolate lovers in Europe after a successful debut in Japan and Korea earlier this year. In January, Nestlé's KitKat became the world’s first brand to adopt Barry Callebaut Ruby chocolate innovation – the fourth category of chocolate after milk, dark and white.
30 Mar 2018 --- Typical Easter indulgence in chocolate eggs may well come with associations of calorie guilt for some consumers, but recent research has cast a darker shadow on the chocolate treats, indicating their potential environmental damage. Researchers at the University of Manchester estimate that the UK chocolate industry produces 2.1m tones of greenhouse gases per year and that it takes a heavy 1000 liters of water to produce one chocolate bar. The packaging that accompanies the Easter eggs add the proverbial icing to the cake, campaigners claim.
