Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Brexit

Brexit could spark a ‘food factory crisis’

11-Mar-2016 By John Wood

Leaving the EU could spark a “food factory crisis”, according to new research on the consequences of a British exit, or Brexit, from the EU, from the Food Research Collaboration (FRC).

Naturex calls on start-ups for ingredient innovation partnerships

10-Mar-2016 By Niamh Michail

Naturex is calling on innovative start-ups with fresh ideas on plant-based ingredients, green technologies and novel farming processes to collaborate with it thorugh Ingenium, its open innovation accelerator scheme.

Consumer reaction to Mars recall measured by YouGov

09-Mar-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

A recall of Mars and Snickers chocolate has had a negative consumer impact on both brands but the signs are it will only be short-term, according to YouGov data.

Ferrero is top food firm for deforestation-free palm oil: Greenpeace

07-Mar-2016 By Niamh Michail

Ferrero comes out top for its commitment to deforestation-free palm oil with Nestlé close behind - but other companies are simply failing, warns a Greenpeace report which ranks firms for their sustainable palm oil supply chains.

'Iconic' brands boost British exports as overall trade falls

02-Mar-2016 By Kizzi Nkwocha

Rising exports of branded food and soft drinks pull up British trade figures for 2015 as its competitive edge in the Eurozone is hit by falling oil prices and a strong pound,  the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said today.

Sleep loss activates ‘pleasure’ part of brain to seek out snacks, says study

01-Mar-2016 By Will Chu

A lack of sleep may cause an individual to seek out pleasurable foods that are high in fat and sugar contributing to the increased risk of obesity, a study has shown.

UK’s obesity strategy delayed again

01-Mar-2016 By Niamh Michail

The British government’s obesity strategy has been delayed again to the disappointment of public health campaigners.

Europe’s first cocoa flavanol health claim chocolate to hit store shelves

01-Mar-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Belgian firm Vandenbulcke has introduced ChoVita, the first chocolate brand in Europe that makes a cocoa flavanol health claim that it is 'good for your blood flow'.

Demand for citrus flavour blends on the rise in Europe, says FMI

01-Mar-2016 By Niamh Michail

Demand for citrus flavour market is set to rise in Europe in the next ten years, says Future Market Insights (FMI) - but which are the most popular flavour blends, what is fuelling this growth and how steady is supply?

What's on the inside matters: See-through chewing gum coating can 'reignite' stagnant category, claims Beneo

29-Feb-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Beneo has developed translucent chewing gum coatings from isomalt that allows colors and designs in the gum's core to be visible in the finished product.

Fairtrade sales hit by sugar price plummet despite double digit growth in certain categories

29-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

The value of UK Fairtrade sales dropped by €127m last year due to falling demand for cane sugar but the Fairtrade Foundation says it is remaining cautiously optimistic for 2016 as sales of Fairtrade coffee, cocoa, tea and wine all grew.

Mars recall

Mars Chocolate’s recall ‘could cost millions’

26-Feb-2016 By Michael Stones

Mars Chocolate’s recall of Mars and Snickers bars in up to 55 countries could cost millions of pounds, warns legal firm Roythornes.

Europe set for bittersweet summer as sugar supply crisis looms: CIUS

25-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

A sugar supply crisis in Europe is almost certain this summer unless the EU acts now to prevent one, the Committee of European Sugar Users (CIUS) has warned.

Scientists develop method to boost sweetness of plant-derived thaumatin

25-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Plant-derived sweetener thaumatin can be made up to 1.7 times sweeter by swapping basic amino acids, Japanese researchers have found.

Mars issues mass chocolate recall due to plastic

23-Feb-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

Mars Chocolate has recalled a variety of chocolate bars after plastic was found in one of the products.

Food industry backs roadmap for EU-wide reformulation

23-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

The food industry has agreed to work with EU member states to make Europe’s food supply healthier through a voluntary reformulation plan launched by the Dutch presidency.

Updated food safety training survey sent to industry

23-Feb-2016 By staff reporter

An update to a survey on food safety training practices has been launched.

Nestlé sees food sales decrease as it misses sales forecast

19-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

Net profit at Nestlé fell by more than a third in 2015 as the Swiss food giant missed sales forecasts making price rises difficult in a tough economic climate.

Mamma Mia! Mamma Tia? Italy wants to stamp out fake 'Italian-sounding' names

19-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Food firms are making billions off the back of rip-off, Italian-sounding names to the detriment of genuine Italian manufacturers – an 'odious and unfair' practice that should be stopped under EU law, an MEP has said.

Data spanning 40 years reveals Britain's health conscious drive - as it gets fatter

18-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Data published by the UK government today gives a glimpse into the eating habits of 150,000 UK households from 1974 to 2014, revealing a nation that is increasingly health conscious – as it gets increasingly fat.

Food & drink firms should be forced to promote healthy diets, says economist

18-Feb-2016 By Kizzi Nkwocha

UK food and drink companies should be made to promote healthy and sustainable diets in order to help tackle the global sugar problem, a new paper says.

Premium-priced poverty: Organic cocoa shortages loom as farmers reluctant to meet demand

17-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Demand for organic cocoa is on the rise but market analysts are predicting supply shortages unless more cocoa producers switch to organic farming – but where’s the incentive to do so when this means reduced yields, higher costs and huge debt?

Controversial study linking sucralose and cancer is published

12-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

A study linking the consumption of sucralose and cancer in mice, led by Italian researcher Morando Soffritti, has been published.

Food choices linked to ‘plasticity genes’ and child upbringing

11-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

The interaction between genes linked with obesity and environmental upbringing is likely to determine healthy or unhealthy food choices in adult life, Canadian researchers have stated.

Russia considers a tax on palm oil and sugary drinks

11-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

The Russian government is considering imposing a tax on palm oil and sugary drinks in a bid to fill state coffers and improve public health, according to reports.

RSPO Next draws mixed reactions over environmental stance

10-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's RSPO Next allows manufacturers to demonstrate a tougher stance on deforestation, forest fires and peatland clearance – but it has been slammed by Greenpeace which says many progressive companies and governments...

First-of-its-kind reformulation report reveals big cuts in Irish salt, fat & sugar intake

09-Feb-2016 By Kizzi Nkwocha

Irish manufacturers have cut the salt content in food by 37%, according to a first-of-its-kind report that has quantified voluntary reformulation efforts and documented shifts in consumer intake of key nutrients. "This has never been done before," say...

Mars to ditch all artificial colours from its entire global food portfolio

08-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Food giant Mars has pledged to phase out all artificial colours from its global food and drink portfolio in the next five years.

High-fat diet during pregnancy overrides genes in children, say researchers

03-Feb-2016 By Eliot Beer

A mother’s high-fat diet during pregnancy can override offspring’s genes and cause weight gain and insulin resistance, according to a new animal study in the journal Diabetes.

The NPD name game: Choose your letters carefully for better branding, say researchers

29-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

P is delicious, k is not? The way a product name is articulated subconsciously boosts palatability - and may even increase willingness to spend, psychology researches have found.

WHO report backs a tax on sugary drinks to halt child obesity

26-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

A report commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) backs a tax on sugary drinks, mandatory nutrient labelling and restrictions on marketing to children in a bid to tackle the child obesity epidemic around the world.

Children’s beliefs and emotional reactions altered by food advertising, paper finds

26-Jan-2016 By Will Chu

Food-related advertisements and other marketing communications can have significant and measurable effects on children’s cognitions, emotions, and behaviours, encouraging unhealthy or risky consumption, a review paper has found.

Unilever capping ice cream calories

25-Jan-2016 By Jim Cornall

Unilever has confirmed that from spring this year its entire adult single-serve ice cream range will contain 250 calories or fewer in the UK.

Reduced sugar chocolate cracked with inulin and isomalt combo, claims Beneo

25-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Beneo claims previously untested varieties of inulin and isomalt come closer to matching the taste and mouthfeel of sugar in chocolate than ever before.

Firmenich and Veolia join food giants in sustainable investment fund

22-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

Flavour giant Firmenich and water management firm Veolia join Mars and Danone in an investment fund that boosts the security and sustainability of their supply chains while improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers.

Ferrero’s Kinder Surprise toy linked to child’s death in France

22-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Prosecutors are investigating if a three-year old girl in France died after choking on a toy from a Kinder Surprise egg.

Don't ignore different flavour preferences of older consumers: Study

21-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

Certain flavours, such as ginger or mint, appeal to older consumers more than younger ones, and should be considered along with texture when targetting seniors in new product development (NPD).

Nestlé KitKat shape trademark fails as Cadbury appeal allowed

21-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

A UK high court has ruled Nestlé’s KitKat lacks the distinctiveness to be registered as a 3D shape trademark. Nestlé plans to appeal the judgment.

Nestlé nutrition expert talks ‘difficult’ task of cutting sugar in confectionery

21-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

KitKat maker Nestlé reports progress in reducing sugar across its confectionery portfolio but won’t reformulate to a lower threshold until sugar’s link to obesity and type 2 diabetes is substantiated.

Barry Callebaut thwarts global chocolate declines to grow volume and revenue

20-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has posted increased volumes and revenue in the first quarter of financial year 2015/16 despite declines in the global chocolate confectionery market.

Cocoa processing rises 2% in Europe for 2015, finds ECA

18-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Europe’s cocoa grind climbed 6% in the fourth quarter and 2% for the full year 2015, according to figures from the European Cocoa Association.

European Parliament committee to vote on three objections

MEP urges rethink on ‘outrageous’ new formula marketing rules

14-Jan-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A member of the European Parliament (MEP) has urged fellow politicians to support his objections to new rules on the marketing of baby foods, formulas and foods for special medical purposes in a vote today, which he says fails to safeguard the practice...

Online tool shows global scale of obesity-related cancer

13-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

The impact of obesity on cancer rates across the world – and how many cases could have been prevented – is made clear with an online data tool, launched by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) last month.

What works for cigarettes may not work for food: Plain packaging increases snacking

07-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

The use of plain packaging on unhealthy food as an obesity prevention measure may have the opposite effect by increasing snack intake among men, a study has found.

Sales are up but value falls as UK Christmas shoppers opt for cheaper food

06-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

UK consumers bought more Christmas products but opted for cheaper versions of them, IRI data has shown, with traditional retailers feeling the downward price pressure of hard discounters.

Easy food access leads people to eat when not hungry: Study

06-Jan-2016 By Will Chu

The tendency of today’s consumers to eat when they are not hungry might be detrimental to health than eating when they are hungry, according to research.

Manufacturers throw weight behind obesity app that displays food & drink sugar levels

05-Jan-2016 By Will Chu

A smartphone app that enables consumers to scan the bar code on products to determine their sugar content has been backed by some manufacturers and major UK retailers.

ASA ruling

Hare today, gone tomorrow: Nestlé boots Nesquik healthy bunny claims after UK challenge

23-Dec-2015 By Niamh Michail

Nesquik is no longer "a great start to the day" after the UK advertising authority ruled the product too high in sugar to bear health claims. 

RSPO to publish members’ plantation maps in wake of Indonesia’s forest fires

22-Dec-2015 By Niamh Michail

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will publish maps of all its members’ palm oil plantations – with the exception of Malaysia – in the hope closer monitoring will prevent forest fires and peat land destruction. But is this enough?

DISPATCHES FROM FiE 2015

What opportunities does the backlash against sugar create?

21-Dec-2015 By Niamh Michail

From links with obesity and type 2 diabetes to government taxes, sugar is currently experiencing a backlash. FoodNavigator met up with experts in the field at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) to ask what this means for industry – is the future sugar-free?