Tag: Chocolate & Confectionery

Barry Callebaut bolsters presence specialty chocolate market with acquisition of Europe Chocolate Company

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EUROPE – Swiss based chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has agreed to acquire Europe Chocolate Company (ECC), a Belgian B2B manufacturer of specialty chocolate ingredients, for an undisclosed sum. ECC operates a chocolate factory and warehouse in Malle, near Antwerp in Belgium where it produces a wide range of specialty chocolate and decorations in multiple taste and color variations including batons, curls, chunks, leaves and shavings. The Belgian-based company supplies a variety of customers in multiple industries such as biscuit, bakery, dairy, ice cream, confectionery and food service. ECC’s acquisition will…

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Hershey poised to expand offering with acquisition of better-for-you confectionery brand Lily’s

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US – The Hershey Company, one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world, has  entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lily’s, a high-growth, better-for-you (BFY) confectionery brand.  Based today in Boulder, Colo., Lily’s traces its roots to co-founder Cynthia Tice’s decision to raise awareness about better-for-you foods by opening Center Foods, a natural foods store, in Philadelphia in 1978. In 2012, the Cynthia launched four Lily’s chocolate style bars nationally in Whole Foods Market. Almost a decade later, the brand’s expanded line of bars, baking chips and other…

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Cargill acquires Leman Decoration to expand gourmet chocolate offerings

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US – American multinational food company, Cargill has acquired Leman Decoration Group, a supplier of cake decorations to the bakery sector, to bolster its gourmet chocolate offerings.   Currently Cargill is the second largest chocolate company globally and serves the gourmet market with its Veliche Gourmet, Smet, and Vanova brands. Leman Decoration Group’s portfolio spans cake decorations, chocolate printings, sugar-based decorations and wafers. The family-owned business has customers across 55 countries, combining its strength for product innovation with a vertically integrated, end-to-end supply chain, offering a platform for customer service.…

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Fonterra opens revamped application centre in China as Nestlé mulls closure of UK confectionery factory

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CHINA – New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative Fonterra has opened its revamped application centre in Guangzhou, China, in an effort to support its growing foodservice business in southern China. Fonterra says the revamped center is more multipurpose than the previous one and will see the test and development of innovative products and applications unique to the ‘fast-moving’ China market. The premise will also enable the co-operative’s teams to hold more than 70 large demos and 150 small demos each year. “This updated application centre is a great enabler for our…

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Mondelēz posts 7.9% revenue growth in Q1 as Carlsberg celebrates a “good start to the year”

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US – American multinational snack and food company Mondelēz International has reported 7.9% growth in first-quarter net revenue to US$7.24 billion, driven by organic net revenue growth of 3.8%, favourable currency and the impact of its acquisitions of Give & Go and Hu. The owner of Oreo and Cadbury snack brands says that part of the of the growth could also be attributed to the strong growth it experienced in emerging markets. Following a 0.5% decline in 2020, Mondelēz’s Asia, Middle East and Africa business delivered 16.2% growth in net…

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New research identifies key odorants that chiefly contribute to off-flavors in fermented cocoa

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GERMANY – Key odorants that chiefly contribute to off-flavors in fermented cocoa have been identified by researchers, making it easier for chocolate companies to objectively assess the sensory quality of fermented cocoa based on odorant concentrations. In the research, the researchers identified Geosimin and 3-methyl-1H- indole to be the main compounds contributing to off-flavours in fermented cocoa. Additionally, the researchers have established maximum concentration levels to avoid the incorporation of cocoa that smells musty, moldy, smoky or like horse dung into food production. According to the researchers, Geosimin – which…

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Nestlé’s chocolate brand KitKat pledges to be carbon neutral by 2025

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SWITZERLAND – KitKat, one of the world’s most popular chocolate brands, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025, bolstering Nestlé’s sustainability efforts which aim to achieve net zero emissions  throughout its value chain by no later than 2050. The Nestlé owned chocolate brand aims to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing the emissions generated through the sourcing of its ingredients, the manufacturing of the product and its distribution by more than 50% as part of the plan. According to KitKat, most emissions occur when producing ingredients like cocoa and milk…

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Cargill inches closer to completion of Belgian innovation hub, supports sustainable grazing practices in the US

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BELGIUM- The construction of Cargill’s new Belgium-based innovation hub dubbed the ‘House of Chocolate’ comprising of an inspirational high-tech chocolate experience centre, a pilot plant and a sensory lab, is well underway and is anticipated to open in March 2022. Cargill says the soon to be opened US$21 million innovation hub is an integral part of our long-term “Journey to Joy 2022” vision to become the trusted solution provider for chocolate and will serve its broad customer portfolio. The chocolate experience center will be a platform for co-creation to improve…

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Nestlé Smarties launches 100% recyclable packaging, collaborates with South African artist to curate art pieces

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SOUTH AFRICA – Nestlé through its South African popular confectionery brand, Nestlé Smarties, has switched to 100% recyclable paper packaging. To celebrate this milestone, the brand has collaborated with contemporary recycling artist, Mbongeni Buthelezi, to design a digital guide for caregivers and children to follow in creating fun origami pieces using the brand’s recyclable paper. According to the food manufacturing giant, the collaboration is intended to drive the brand’s #SmartiesCreateWithPurpose narrative which is set to inspire conscious creativity by using recyclable goods. “Essentially, the purpose of the collaboration is for…

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Mondelez SA introduces Cadbury P.S. DUO sparking sharing moments

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SOUTH AFRICA – Cadbury, part of Mondelez SA, the largest confectionery business in South Africa has expanded its Cadbury P.S. family with launch of Cadbury P.S. DUO. As the name suggests, P.S. Duo is a delicious new taste sensation that’s “Made To Share” as two individual bars are combined in one pack. The new offering brings layers of crispy wafer coated in scrumptious milk chocolate and smothered in creamy Caramilk, thus enticing fans of both Cadbury P.S. milk chocolate and Cadbury P.S. caramilk Also, the chocolate bars are artistically wrapped…

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