Chocolate and confectionery ingredients

Natural Products Expo West

Simple Mills is creating market demand for biodiverse crops, pushing for equity

28-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Better for you snack brand Simple Mills is taking is mission and products beyond its initial “free from” roots to embrace a “for more” approach that not only skips artificial ingredients that consumers are avoiding but gives them more of what they want...

Hershey reimagines manufacturing to navigate lingering supply chain challenges

28-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Hershey is making more of the sweets and snacks consumers want with less and overcoming extreme supply chain challenges by replacing and repurposing underutilized manufacturing capacity, ditching conventional lines in favor of more efficient modular operations...

Sustainability

Sweet news for chocolate lovers - and cocoa farmers - as more products added to Fairtrade

13-Mar-2023 By Anthony Myers

Strong consumer demand for affordable, sustainable products will drive the Fairtrade market in 2023, the organisation said after a successful awareness campaign in the UK brought ethically sourced products, such as chocolate, bananas and coffee, into...

Expo West Trendspotting: From beverages bursting with boba to munchable mochi and plant-based beyond meat and dairy

13-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Emerging and maturing trends revealed at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week ranged from dips delivering delightful dinners, mochi moving into multiple day parts, plant-based expanding beyond analogues, and beverages brimming with better-for-you...

Supply chain

Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator expects exporters to honour contracts

22-Feb-2023 By Anthony Myers

Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa regulator, has issued a statement that it expects the country’s cocoa exporters to fulfill their contracts despite supply chain issues at ports.

Moving beyond COVID dynamics: How Mars Wrigley, Upfield are retooling approaches, marketing to consumers in 2023

17-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

As 2023 comes into focus, CPG brands are addressing yet more changes to supply chains, marketing, and how they approach consumers, retailers, and the markets they serve, as shared in a recent IRI and Boston Consulting Group webinar.

Sustainabilty

Chocolate processors Baronie & Cémoi join Tony’s Open Chain to improve its cocoa traceability

08-Feb-2023 By Anthony Myers

Tony’s Open Chain, an initiative by Tony’s Chocolonely that invites other chocolate manufacturers to ramp up sustainability efforts in their own supply chains, has announced it is partnering with chocolate processor Baronie & Cémoi.

FDA will not object to limited health claims regarding cocoa flavanols and cardiovascular disease

06-Feb-2023 By Lauren Nardella

FDA will allow a very narrow set of claims linking cocoa flavanols in high flavanol cocoa powder and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease following a petition from Switzerland-based chocolate and cocoa product manufacturer Barry Callebaut AG.

Strawberry flavors, 'sour singles' sweeten up Valentine's Day candy launches

03-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

From limited-time offerings to licensed products, this Valentine’s Day candy season is shaping up to be a big one in terms of sales and product launches, with many leading CPGs providing sweet treats for those romantics – and even some for those who despise...

‘Chocolate and salty snacks rank a two of the top three resilient treats that consumers are not willing to forgo’

Hershey doubles down on advertising to offset impact from price hikes, reinforce consumer connection

03-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sweets and snacks giant Hershey will double down on advertising and production capacity for its fastest growing brands, including Reese’s and Skinny Pop, in the coming year to help offset price elasticity and meet consumer demand, which executives say...

US Snack Index reveals consumers' fear of running out of snacks during the Super Bowl

03-Feb-2023 By Gill Hyslop

Shockingly – in the run up to the country’s biggest watched sporting event – Frito-Lay’s latest Snack Index found that almost half the country’s Super Bowl fans would rather see their team lose than have to sit through the game without snacks.

Mondelez holds off on promotions, price roll-backs despite retailer pressure as inflation remains high

01-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelez executives see no reason to lower prices or increase promotions for their iconic sweets and snacks despite reported retailer requests that brands across the board do so as some consumers begin pulling back on spending in the face of ongoing inflation.

Godiva CEO says premium chocolates remain ‘very resilient’ ahead of Valentine's Day

31-Jan-2023 By Ryan Daily

The Valentine's Day candy season is poised for growth in 2023 with year-over-year sales expected to grow 5% to around $4bn, despite rising inflation and supply chain issues, according to the National Confectioners Association.

Sustainability

Fairtrade launches new map to identify human rights and environmental risks in cocoa and other commodities

26-Jan-2023 By Anthony Myers

In a statement, Fairtrade said: ‘Risk assessment and collaboration with farmers and workers are cornerstones of sustainable supply chains and essential for evolving due diligence requirements’.

Ayana Bio targets cacao bioactives production, ‘upgrades’ plant cell culture with synthetic biology and metabolomics

18-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

Ayana Bio — one of a new wave of startups seeking to unlock the potential of plant cell culture in the food and nutrition industry — is turning its attention to cacao bioactives with a $3m investment it claims will also benefit the wider industry.

Unilever outlines 3-prong plan to capture market share in growing ice cream segment

17-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Over the next three years, Unilever plans to expand its lead in ice cream sales by offering more premium products, expanding in emerging markets and leveraging digitization to boost sales online and out of home, a top executive recently revealed.

Could reframing ‘shrinkflation’ as portion-control boost sales?

16-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Many packaged food and beverage manufacturers that have trimmed serving sizes without lowering cost in recent years to mitigate inflation have tried to do so in stealth mode for fear of losing value-seeking shoppers, but new research suggests if they...

Corn prices to stay elevated as global supplies ‘remain tight’

12-Jan-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Procurement intelligence and analytics provider Beroe predicts that corn prices will remain high due to supply chain disruptions and increasing production costs.

Kerry sours on sweets, IRCA to purchase sweet ingredients portfolio

12-Jan-2023 By Ryan Daily

In an effort to streamline its portfolio, ingredient manufacturer Kerry has entered into exclusive negotiations to sell its sweet ingredients business to food ingredient company IRCA for €500m ($538m).

M&As

Mars snaps up premium whole-fruit snacking brand Trü Frü

21-Dec-2022 By Anthony Myers

Mars, Incorporated has acquired better-for-you, whole-fruit snacking brand Trü Frü for an undisclosed amount, the confectionery giant has announced.

'Cocoa used to be in a fruit on a tree. Through technology we make it in a cell mass in a bottle...'

Lab-grown cocoa? Celleste Bio backs plant cell culture to solve ‘chocolate supply crisis’

21-Dec-2022 By Shane Starling

Israeli start-up Celleste Bio is building momentum to disrupt the chocolate supply chain… by growing cocoa in a lab.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging flavor trends cater to comfort, nostalgia & whimsy

28-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The stressful one-two punch of pandemic lockdowns followed by runaway inflation has many consumers looking for comfort and escapism from their food and beverages, which industry leaders say is driving demand for new flavor combinations that are nostalgic,...

Hershey braces for elasticity moderation even as it predicts ongoing strong sales through Q4

07-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While consumer spending on groceries has yet to dramatically slow in the face of rising prices to offset inflation, some CPG companies – including Hershey – are bracing for an eventual pushback, even as they continue to pass additional costs through to...

Mondelēz plans for December price increases but sees strong consumer brand loyalty

03-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While consumers are tightening their purse strings and cutting down on many discretionary purchases, snacking is one area many are not, according to Mondelēz International, which continues to see consumers opt for name brands over private label and value-priced...

Barry Callebaut unwraps ‘second generation’ of chocolate: ‘It gives a cocoa bite, instead of a sweet bite’

03-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

The chocolate major is ‘redesigning’ how it farms, ferments, and roasts cocoa beans to develop a range of chocolate. We ask Bas Smit, Vice-President, Global Marketing and R&D, how the company is putting ‘cocoa first, sugar last’.

Mondelēz International to invest $600m to scale cocoa sustainability program

26-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Mondelēz International is investing an additional $600m by 2030 in its cocoa sustainability program, Cocoa Life, for a total investment of $1bn since the start of the program 10 years ago.

Nestlé plans further price increases, 'Pricing will need to continue,' says CEO

21-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nestlé is continuing to fine tune its portfolio through ongoing SKU rationalization paired with an increased focus on high-growth segments of coffee and its Nestlé Health Sciences division with plans to introduce additional pricing actions to keep up...

Starbucks to sell Seattle's Best Coffee to Nestlé: 'This is a great day for coffee lovers around the world'

20-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Starbucks plans to sell the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand to Nestlé to allow both companies to focus on their core strengths within their respective coffee portfolios.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

Yasso on track to hit $300m in sales in 2023, 'Without question this could be a half billion dollar brand or more,' says CEO

05-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Frozen Greek yogurt brand Yasso has surpassed $200m in retail sales this year, but the real growth is just on the horizon as it embraces its national brand status becoming the #4 frozen novelty at retail and #1 fastest-growing brand across the total...

Costco sees uptick in store traffic and membership renewals as shoppers realize value of mass & club channel

26-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With many consumers fixated on the price of their grocery bill amid ongoing inflation, mass and club channel retailers such as Costco are seeing increased foot traffic and higher shopper spending at its stores.

Dewey's Bakery takes its thin crispy cookies nationwide tapping into permissible indulgence trend

23-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After years of a slow build, Dewey's Bakery is entering national retail accounts where it can reach consumers in search of permissibly indulgent snacks with its line of thin crispy cookies that deliver on taste without breaking the caloric bank.

SPECIAL REPORT: Bioengineered food labeling: ‘They kind of shot in the middle and missed every constituency’

23-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Advocates arguing for greater transparency about the use of GMOs in food scored a minor victory this month after a district court told USDA to re-work the digital disclosure portions of the bioengineered food labeling law, which came into effect in January....

From 'Coffeetok' influencers to 'textured' cold coffee drinks, fourth wave coffee is here, says Mintel: 'Expect to see more brands take a less serious approach to coffee'

22-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The US coffee market is now entering its fourth wave driven by Gen Z's 'easy-going' approach to coffee and surging demand for at-home specialty coffee drinks, according to Mintel.

Not all indulgent snacks contribute equally to obesity and not all strategies to reduce their consumption are effective

20-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Curbing consumption of sugary beverages and sweet baked goods could take center-stage in future obesity-fighting campaigns while chocolate and confections move to the wings after new research from Georgetown University reveals the former are more likely...

Mondelez bets big on chocolate, biscuits with early returns buoying year-over-year growth

12-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mondelez is ready to go all in on core chocolate and biscuits with plans to divest most, if not all, of the 20% of its business that falls outside of the categories in the next two to five years while simultaneously pursuing acquisitions in the spaces...

Nestlé taps confections expertise to enter snack space with Rallies Nut Butter Bombs

08-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than four years after Nestlé sold its US confectionery business to Ferrero, the CPG giant is dipping a toe back into the bite-sized sweets segment but through a better-for-you “snacking” lens with the national rollout of Rallies Nut Butter Bombs.

Study finds link between ultra-processed foods and mental health

29-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A study exploring the connection between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and reported adverse mental health symptoms found that participants who had a diet high in UPF were more likely to report instances of 'mentally unhealthy' and...

Fazer investigates cellular agriculture for sustainable cocoa

19-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Finnish confectioner Fazer is working to secure a sustainable future cocoa supply. The company believes cellular agriculture could be part of that vision.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Mintel shares areas ripe for innovation that balance post-pandemic and tighter financial needs

15-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As Americans continue to adjust to post-pandemic life and mounting economic uncertainty, consumer research from Mintel shows that many believe there is no going ‘back to normal’ and as such are changing the way they think about, budget and shop for, and...

'Plant cell culture is now emerging from a very cold winter...' Cell-cultured chocolate startup California Cultured turns attention to coffee

12-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Microbes can produce a host of ingredients traditionally made by plants or animals more sustainably and efficiently. But if you want to make complex plant-based ingredients such as coffee or cocoa, single-celled microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria...

Seasonal candy

Hershey calms Halloween nerves after shortage of treats scare

08-Aug-2022 By Anthony Myers

Hershey has moved quickly to reassure consumers that there will be plenty of candy for this year’s Halloween celebrations.

Snacking behavior holds strong in face of inflation, says Mondelēz

27-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In the face of inflation and consumer price sensitivity, Mondelēz International saw positive volume growth and price resiliency across its snacking portfolio especially in its core areas of snacking and chocolate, reported chairman and CEO Dirk Van de...

Sustainabilty

Fairtrade America urges consumers to think about the cost of confectionery

11-Jul-2022 By Anthony Myers

Fairtrade America has launched a new campaign that aims to ignite conversation about how little cocoa farmers earn for their crops while they also face pernicious inflation, impacts of Covid-19 and supply chain challenges.

5 trends from Summer Fancy Food: From veggie-enhanced non-dairy cheese to convenient baking solutions to keto-friendly snacks and booze-fueled treats

08-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Invigorating sleepy segments, tackling persistent category challenges and balancing consumer desire for taste, convenience and experience, companies at the 66th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City late last month showcased innovative solutions to...

Quest and Atkins outperform the competition in active nutrition and weight management categories

01-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Simply Good Foods, parent company to Quest Nutrition and Atkins brands, registered solid net sales growth in Q3 2022 as snacking behaviors stabilized and consumers adjusted to the company's new pricing actions.

Mavericks Cookies ramps up distribution: 'We very strongly believe and designed this brand to be a mainstream proposition'

30-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Two years after launching at the height of the pandemic, Mavericks Cookies has established a strong foothold in the under-served better-for-you kids snacking category with new distribution at 1,250 Target stores and a streamlined portfolio focused exclusively...

'I think cacao water is the new coconut water': Blue Stripes sees mainstream future for cacao fruit

27-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Blue Stripes has recently unleashed a broad line of cacao-based products made from underutilized and wasted parts of the cacao fruit to Whole Foods stores nationwide and will be launching its star product -- cacao water -- next month, which founder Oded...

Grindings

Slight climb in cocoa prices as chocolate production slows

27-Jun-2022 By Anthony Myers

Cocoa prices rallied in the week ending 24 June, after the Cote d’Ivoire government reported that cocoa farmers sent a cumulative 2.24 MMT of cocoa to its ports from 1 October 1 to 19 June, down -1.8% y/y.

Nude Mints aims to revamp mints category with a more effective and modern breath freshening solution

23-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nude Mints wants to modernize the mints category, which co-founder Sean Davis believes is outdated and lacking innovation, by launching breath mints using a new multi-layer capsule technology that promises a deeper and extended breath freshening experience...