Confectionery

DKSH acquires China e-commerce distributor eSweets

12-Sep-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Market expansion firm DKSH has acquired a majority stake in online premium confectionery distributor Shanghai Sweets International (eSweets).

Singapore and Malaysia lead the way with voluntary GDA labelling roll-out

05-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

‘Significant progress’ has been made in rolling-out voluntary Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) nutrition labelling in Asia over the past four years, but more work is needed to educate consumers and emphasise their benefits to small and medium-sized enterprises...

Natural ingredients in India: The four hurdles facing suppliers and manufacturers

24-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Indian food manufacturers face four fundamental hurdles when it comes to expanding their use of natural ingredients, in addition to the extra cost that they can incur.

Strong growth prospects in Asia’s snack stick market, says Euromonitor

19-Aug-2016 By Emil Fazira Bte Kamari, senior analyst at Euromonitor International

Snack sticks are enjoying a surge in Asia as new entrants enter the category with smaller pack sizes and innovative flavors, writes Euromontior analyst Emil Fazira Bte Kamari.

Africa and Asia set to become UK’s biggest suppliers in wake of Brexit

18-Aug-2016 By Natalie Morrision

Africa and Asia could take the EU’s place as exporters of fruit and veg for the UK following Brexit, retailers say.

Kiva releases cannabis chocolate bars despite difficulty imposed by state regulation

18-Aug-2016 By Douglas Yu

The increasing demand for consuming cannabis through confections has pushed the California-based Kiva to launch its first CBD chocolate bar line. 

Mondelēz warns multinationals to reposition during China’s economic slowdown

17-Aug-2016 By Douglas Yu

Multinational companies should reconsider their business strategies amid China’s economic slowdown, Mondelēz China president Stephen Maher told the audience at the recent Food and Beverage Innovation Forum in Shanghai.

Cadbury pulls ‘discriminatory' TV ad in Australia

16-Aug-2016 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz has been ordered to pull a TV ad in Australia for Cadbury Picnic that featured a fast-speaking Indian man.

Dubai officials clear Milka bars social media spreads alcohol rumours

10-Aug-2016 By RJ Whitehead

A simple labelling mis-translation gave rise to widespread rumours that an international chocolate brand’s formulation contained alcohol, Dubai authorities have revealed following a probe.

India may allow vegetable fats in chocolate

08-Aug-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Vegetable fats such as palm oil may be permitted in chocolate up to 5% under draft regulation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Barry Callebaut gears up for India ‘premiumization’ with chocolate academy

05-Aug-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has opened a chocolate academy in Mumbai as it anticipates growth in India’s premium and gourmet chocolate segment.

Mondelēz appoints ex-Wrigley boss as India MD

03-Aug-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelēz International has named the managing director for its India business months after inaugurating a chocolate plant in Andhra Pradesh that will be its largest Asia Pacific plant.

Mondelēz adapts Milka to local tastes for China launch

28-Jul-2016 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz International has tailored its Milka brand to Chinese tastes ahead of September launch for the power brand in the emerging Chinese market. 

Gulf multinationals commit to phase out trans fats by 2019

27-Jul-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Several Gulf-based global food and beverage companies have have embraced a commitment to phase-out trans-fat in their Middle East products.

Market Insights

Restacking BRICs: Chocolate makers to rethink future growth markets, says Euromonitor

25-Jul-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Euromonitor International has pinpointed several promising chocolate markets that may help manufacturers offset slowdowns in traditional emerging markets such as China and Brazil.

Chinese chocolate market hit by price hikes and health concerns

13-Jul-2016 By Douglas Yu

Health concerns and price hikes are taking their toll on the Chinese chocolate market – with value and volumes sales in decline according to analysts.

E-commerce candy: Mars partners with Alibaba; Mondelēz refreshes Facebook partnership

07-Jul-2016 By Douglas Yu

Mars has announced a strategic collaboration with China’s Alibaba just a few days after Mondelēz refreshed its partnership with Facebook as both companies tap the global e-commerce boom.

Lindt seizes on Australian growth with $45m Sydney plant

06-Jul-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Lindt has opened a factory in Sydney to capitalize on the growth it has enjoyed in the Australian market.

Middle East drives hope for Brazil sweet producers

29-Jun-2016 By Eliot Beer

The Middle East is a bright spot for Brazil’s confectionery industry as the only global market seeing growth, with Brazilian producers hoping to capitalise further on synergies with the region.  

Nestlé appoints new CEO

28-Jun-2016 By Will Chu

Food giant Nestlé has appointed Ulf Mark Schneider as its new CEO, effective from the start of next year.

Lindt launches 'shop-in-shop' concept in Hong Kong

27-Jun-2016 By Douglas Yu

Passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) are now able to pick and mix their favorite Lindor chocolate for the first time, thanks to the recent partnership between Lindt and DFS.

Dateline Southeast Asia

Indonesia’s sugar shortage could cut production over Idul Fitri

16-Jun-2016 By RJ Whitehead

A shortage of sugar may force some Indonesian food and beverage companies to cease production ahead of the Idul Fitri celebrations, the chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association has warned.

Confectionery accounts for 1% of food with sustainable palm oil label

14-Jun-2016 By Douglas Yu

Confectionery products account for 1% of total packaged food that carries a sustainable palm oil label, according to new ethical labels data from Euromonitor.

IOI drops legal action against RSPO

07-Jun-2016 By David Burrows

Palm oil supplier IOI Corporation Berhad has ditched plans to sue the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), saying it has “engaged” with customers, NGOs and the RSPO to resolve the matter.

Nestlé brings global brands to video in Alibaba anniversary tie-up

06-Jun-2016 By China

Nestlé and Alibaba Group have launched an e-commerce and marketing campaign to bring the Swiss corporation’s brands from overseas markets to China as its celebrates 150 years in nutrition. 

Es Koyama Japan wins packaging hat trick at The Academy of Chocolate 2016 Awards

03-Jun-2016 By Jenny Eagle

Chocolatier, Susumu Koyama, owner and chef of Patissier Es Koyama, (formerly Chocomania) Japan, has picked up a hat trick of awards in gold, silver and bronze for its packaging, at The Academy of Chocolate 2016 Awards.

Barry Callebaut ramps up Indonesia cocoa sustainability program

03-Jun-2016 By Vince Bamford

Barry Callebaut is expanding its sustainability program in Indonesia and has announced plans to train 50,000 farmers in good agricultural practice by 2020.

DSM to expand hydrocolloids business in China

24-May-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Ingredients supplier DSM is planning two major plant expansions in China to boost its gellan gum and pectin capacities. 

South Asia radius

Rumour: Haldiram’s planning PE deal, company valued at $1bn

17-May-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Snack food manufacturer Haldiram’s is getting closer to agreeing a possible US$200m investment deal after recently holding talks with top-tier private equity funds, according to media reports.

Delfi and Orion to corner half the Indonesian chocolate market with new JV

16-May-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Delfi Limited, formerly Petra Foods, and Orion Confectionery have formed a joint venture in Indonesia that will command 50% of the country’s retail chocolate market, the firms estimate.

Courts, controversy and CSR – the palm oil story

13-May-2016 By David Burrows

There were more twists and turns this week in the controversy surrounding the IOI group, which was suspended by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) last month.

Market Insights

Two percent faster: Asia Pacific to outpace Europe and North America chocolate sales

25-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

The chocolate market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow around 2% faster than Europe and North America up to 2019, according to a Transparency Market Research’s (TMR) report.

India's first online confectionery marketplace: Chocozonia taps emerging e-commerce nation

12-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

E-commerce startup Chocozonia has upped its distribution to include Cadbury, Nestlé and Mars products as well as homemade Indian chocolates after spotting an unmet need for an online confectionery channel in India.

Mondelēz partners with China’s Alibaba to support $1bn global e-commerce goal

11-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

Chinese consumers are able to buy a fuller range of Mondelēz products, including Oreo Colorfilled, an online platform where people can customize their own Oreo packaging, thanks to the Mondelēz’s latest partnership with Alibaba.

China’s Heijingang targets high-end consumers to compete with foreign brands

08-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

Domestic Chinese chocolate brand Heijingang plans a new premium line later this year to compete with western chocolates, which dominate the market.

Show preview

China Candy & Snacks Expo set to begin in Ningbo this fall

06-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

The seventh China Candy & Snacks Expo will kick off at Ningbo International Convention Center on September 2 this year amid rapid growth in Chinese candy production. 

Initial success for China KitKat launch in Walmart, says Nestlé

04-Apr-2016 By Douglas Yu

Nestlé is positioning KitKat as a big brand in China after launching its top confection into the market last December.

Shock tactics used in latest Thai diabetes awareness campaign

31-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

The Diabetes Association of Thailand has taken a shocking approach in its latest awareness campaign by using images of confectionery to create a frightful picture of infections and festering wounds on limbs.

New frontiers: Japan’s origin chocolate sector ripe for innovation, says Tachibana

30-Mar-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Tachibana & Co hopes to diversity Japan’s chocolate sector by offering cocoa origins beyond Ghana.

Mondelēz, Nestlé, Mars and Lindt pledge to use 'sustainable cocoa' for Australian-made chocolate

23-Mar-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Australia’s leading chocolate companies such as Mondelēz, Nestlé, Mars and Lindt have all pledged to source only “sustainable” cocoa for domestically manufactured goods, says the Australian Industry Group.

Mondelēz partners in Melbourne hub for research into SE Asian markets

23-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

The Asia-Pacific arm of Mondelēz has collaborated with Melbourne University to open a food research hub to learn about consumer behaviour in Asean markets.

Cadbury leads all categories as Australian chocolate consumption rises

23-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Chocolate consumption in Australia is on the rise, according to market research that found that the proportion of Australians chocoholics has increased from 65% to 69% between 2013 and 2015.

Vietnamese lagging behind in stature due to poor diets

17-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Unbalanced diets with too much sugar and salt and too few vegetables have been blamed for the substandard stature of Vietnamese people.

Australia

Pester power: How kids influence household buying decisions

09-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Children rule the roost when it comes to some family food choices, with offspring largely responsible for choosing most of the snack food in the Australian weekly shop.

Japan

Scientists find way to make sweetest sweetener taste sweeter

08-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Japanese researchers have devised a method to make one of the sweetest natural sweeteners even sweeter in a development that will be seen as a breakthrough at a time when consumers are moving away from sugar.

Fijiana Cacao: Bean-to-bar chocolate from Pacific Islands eyes export growth after rebrand

08-Mar-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Fiji bean-to-bar chocolate brand Fijiana Cacao hopes to enter Europe after rebranding and revitalizing the domestic cocoa sector.

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.

China

Blommer buys Shanghai cocoa facility

07-Mar-2016 By RJ Whitehead

America’s biggest chocolate supplier has acquired a manufacturing plant in Shanghai as part of an estimated US$40m investment in a fully integrated bean processing and chocolate manufacturing facility.

Asia’s organized retail sector to propel global sugar confectionery sales, predicts Technavio

03-Mar-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Global sugar confectionery sales are poised to rise 3.76% each year up to 2020 driven by modernized retailing in Asia Pacific, says research firm Technavio.

Cacao extract may protect skin from wrinkles: Study

23-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

A daily supplement with an extract from cacao may reduce UV-induced skin aging and protect against wrinkles, suggests a new study with lab mice and human skin cells.