Confectionery

Company update

Nestlé Japan 100 years on: wasabi KitKats and nutrition on wheels

04-Apr-2013 By RJ Whitehead

A great deal has changed in Japanese society since Nestlé opened the doors to its Far East division for the first time 100 years ago. And as the company moves into its second century, Japan now faces a raft of issue brought about by a chronically ageing...

Cadbury India discounts Toblerone to grow premium category

04-Apr-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelez International’s Cadbury India has introduced a two-week promotion on Toblerone in most modern retailers in a bid to grow the premium chocolate category.

Australian tastes

Milk bars losing out to servos as Australia gains a sweet tooth

02-Apr-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Supermarket service stations are gaining ground on corner shops, and baked staples now losing out to chocolate and confectionery, according to new research from Australia.

China ‘our number one international priority’, says Hershey CEO

21-Mar-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

China will become Hershey’s number two market behind the US in the next five years and will get there through advertising, expanding distribution and new launches, according to the company’s CEO.

Happy holidays

Australian F&B spending to rise again this Easter, say analysts

21-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Easter, which falls between March 29 and April 1, is traditionally a period of heavy consumption, and business information analysts Ibisworld have lifted the lid on continued strong holiday expectations and changing tastes in F&B and confectionery...

Oxfam confronts Mondelez, Nestlé and Mars over women’s rights on cocoa farms

07-Mar-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

Oxfam has called on the three biggest chocolate manufacturers to conduct independent audits on conditions for women on cocoa farms supplying their factories after finding evidence of unequal pay, discrimination and hunger.

Indian investigation

Cadbury to face tough questions over so-called “phantom factory” scam

06-Mar-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Almost exactly a year ago, Cadbury India was showing off its position as the country’s fourth most admired company, according to Fortune magazine; but today the chocolate major is preparing to fight accusations from tax authorities that it had deliberately...

Nestlé claims chocolate top spot over Meiji in Japan

18-Feb-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

Nestlé claims it now has the leading chocolate brand in Japan with Kit Kat through multiple innovations and emotion marketing.

New home in Ho Chi Minh

Dunkin’ to enter Vietnam as part of massive Asia expansion

31-Jan-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Dunkin' Donuts has announced that it has signed a franchise agreement to develop the brand in Vietnam. The move comes only shortly after coffee-and-baked-goods rival Starbucks revealed details of its own move into the South-east Asian country.

Asian chocolate market still promising despite lower than expected grinds

22-Jan-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

Asian chocolate demand is weaker than hoped but the market still represents significant potential, according to an analyst.

Softly does it…Coca-Cola Singapore changes business tack after competition probe

21-Jan-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages (CCSB) is changing its business practices as the nation’s competition commission agreed to end a probe into allegations of restrictive provisions in soft drink supply agreements.

India has a ‘bright’ confectionery future

12-Dec-2012

India’s confectionery market has a ‘bright future’ and will be bolstered by a growing gifting culture and increasing rural consumption, a report suggests.

New horizons

Foreign firms must take strategic look at entering China

03-Dec-2012 By RJ Whitehead

The key to winning over Chinese consumers is mastering distribution strategies, according to a new report by Rabobank, which also suggests that the country should be on the radar of European and American processed food companies that are facing flat growth...

New China factory is Wrigley’s biggest

29-Nov-2012

Wrigley has opened a factory in Guangzhou  with an investment of over RMB1m (US$173.4m). The company claims that the 138,000sq-m site, in the Yonghe Economic Zone, is the largest, most technologically advanced manufacturing facility in its global supply...

Not too late for confectioners in China, says Rabobank

12-Nov-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Opportunities exist for confectioners yet to enter China, but they must come with a targeted distribution strategy, according to Rabobank.

Q3 wrap: Nutrition stars for DSM and Naturex

06-Nov-2012 By Shane Starling

Royal DSM saw Q3 sales slip 7% to €2.3bn across all divisions with polymer intermediates performing worst, but as has been the case in recent quarters, the Dutch firm’s nutrition cluster held firm with 1% organic growth in difficult economic times.

Watchdog pokes fun at Toblerone’s labelling

02-Nov-2012

Claims on a Toblerone label have met with the wrath of Australia’s consumer watchdog, Choice, to the point that the chocolate bar is the only food to make it into the 2012 Choice Shonky Awards.

Greenpeace urges food companies to check palm oil suppliers' sustainability score

30-Oct-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Greenpeace has published a scorecard rating palm oil producers’ sustainability efforts, in order to provide food and other consumer goods companies with better information about how their palm oil is produced.

Hershey eyes China for new Asia plant

26-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

China tops the list of countries for Hershey’s new manufacturing facility in Asia, according to the company’s CEO.

Mondelez appoints Asia specialist to board

24-Oct-2012

Kraft Foods global snacks spin-off Mondelez International has appointed Patrick T. Siewert to its Board of Directors to increase its knowledge of the emerging Asian market.

Cargill looks to counter diseased Indonesian trees with sustainable cocoa investment

18-Oct-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cargill has extended its sustainable cocoa program to Indonesia and plans to take preventative measure to turn ailing crops into high cocoa yielding money-spinners.

Yinlu Foods ready for $1/2bn expansion

18-Oct-2012

Chinese foodmaker Yinlu Foods Group has announced plans to spend almost half a billion dollars in the construction of two new factories. The investment will serve to increase capacity by two-thirds.

Icing on Vietnamese cake for Belgian confectionery joint-venture

11-Oct-2012 By RJ Whitehead

Two Belgian confectionary majors have announced a significant joint-venture that sets out to expand their combined presence and supply-chain in Vietnam and transform them into a regional 'powerhouse'.

Darrell Lea seals IGA supermarket supply deal

28-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Australian confectioner Darrel Lea’s new owners have wasted little time in getting a foothold in the national commercial channels having secured a deal for 1,400 Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA) supermarkets to stock its confections.

Kraft launches first gum brand in China with Stride

11-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Kraft Foods has introduced its first chewing gum brand to the Chinese market with Stride Gum as it looks to put pressure on market leader Wrigley.

Hershey sets up Indian subsidiary after ending Godrej joint venture

07-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The Hershey Company has agreed a deal to buy Godrej Industries 49% stake in the two companies’ Indian joint venture and has announced plans to set up its own subsidiary: Hershey India

LycoRed takes aim at Asia with new facility

07-Sep-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Growing awareness of nutritional intake among Chinese consumers has opened the door for Israel-based global premix supplier LycoRed.

New Darrell Lea pet food bosses to target premium confectionery, says analyst

06-Sep-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

The premium end of the market will help the new owners of Australian confectioner Darrell Lea differentiate themselves from market leaders Mars and Kraft, according to a market analyst.

Pet food tycoon chomps into confectionery world with Darrell Lea buy

03-Sep-2012 By Kacey Culliney

A multi-million dollar Australian pet food firm has snapped up troubled confectioner Darrell Lea for an undisclosed sum as it plans to delve into a new market area.

Dark chocolate could reduce heart disease risk, says study

16-Aug-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa compounds found in dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure in the short term and could help guard against cardiovascular disease, according to a recently released study.

Meiji takes 113% hit to confectionery operating income

14-Aug-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Japan’s second biggest confectioner Meiji Holdings has reported a steep decline in its first quarter (Q1) confectionery profits as its chocolate sales fall and it suffers from a “shrinking” gum market.

Nestlé first half results: Pros and cons

09-Aug-2012 By Rod Addy

Europe and North America were the worst performing regions for Nestlé according to its first half (H1) results, while Asia, Oceania, Africa and emerging markets delivered double digit growth.

Sweet functional opportunities amid Thailand’s ageing population

30-Jul-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Functional confectionery that targets Thailand’s ageing population is an area of opportunity for manufacturers, says analyst.

Chinese challenges: Sparking growth in a slowing FMCG sector

26-Jul-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Manufacturers must refocus efforts on Tier III and IV cities in China and delve into e-commerce to re-ignite consumer spending in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) sector amid a slow, according to analysts.

Kraft investigates ‘worm-infested’ Cadbury éclair in China

18-Jul-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Cadbury parent company Kraft Foods has responded to allegations from a Chinese newspaper that a piece of Choclairs from a Beijing supermarket contained a worm.

Darrell Lea plunges into administration and seeks buyer

10-Jul-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Australian confectioner Darrell Lea today announced that it has entered administration and is looking to sell the company.

Palsgaard secures Malaysia for its long-mulled over Asian emulsifier plant

05-Jul-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Emulsifier and stabilizer specialist Palsgaard has commenced work on its US$30m production plant in Malaysia; chosen for its raw material access and strong logistics, the CEO said.

Hershey plans new Asia manufacturing facility as it sets vision for international expansion

25-Jun-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

US-based confectioner Hershey has announced plans to open a new factory in Asia as it embarks on a ‘five core brands’ strategy to realise potential in selected emerging markets.

77% of Australians oppose TV junk food adverts

14-Jun-2012 By Ankush Chibber

77% of Australian adults oppose junk food advertising on television, a report has found, while 18% oppose junk food advertising altogether. 

Australia turns significant corner in children’s food advertising: AFGC

10-May-2012 By Ankush Chibber

New research has shown that advertisements for high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods have fallen to almost zero in Australia, according to the country’s Food and Grocery Council (AFGC).

Australia embraces healthy drinks and snacks: Report

09-May-2012 By Ankush Chibber

The consumption of soft drinks and confectionery is estimated to be falling due to health concerns in Australia, while healthy offerings are seeing growing demand.

Clean label starch patent secured in Japan amid surging 'free-from' demand

23-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

National Starch has received a patent for its clean label starch technology in Japan, amid a surging demand for such ingredients across the country.

India sugar is pesticide free, says study

12-Apr-2012 By Ankush Chibber

The pesticide food safety issue that has tainted India’s sugar market for more than a decade has been cleared in the wake of a study suggesting India-produced sugar is pesticide free.

China’s sweet tooth drives TIC Gums innovation

02-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Food technologist, TIC Gums, has launched a candy coating technology in China in the wake of a stark surge in the consumption of sweets across the country, fuelled by rising incomes and increasingly Westernised palates.

China food market entry: Traditional routes best avoided

27-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Going online in China is a cost-effective, viable alternative for food and beverage brands entering the country amid sky-high entry costs and structural inefficiencies in traditional retailers, according to a new report.

Malaysia shines safety light on glow-in-the dark lollipops

12-Mar-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Malaysia has sounded an alert for glow-in-the dark lollipops after complaints that these products contained toxic chemicals that could cause cancer, were reported in the local media.

Silver Bird suspends three execs and defaults on repayments

05-Mar-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

Malaysian bakery and confectionery firm Silver Bird Group Berhad has announced the suspension of three top officials as it defaults on loan repayments.

India sweetens up on sugar deregulation in 2012

27-Feb-2012 By Ankush Chibber

The Indian government is firm on sugar decontrol and would step back from this sector by the end of this year, a top official on the committee in charge of deregulation said.

No ban on junk foods in Indian schools, but there will be new standards

12-Jan-2012 By Ankush Chibber

The Indian government has taken a decision on the issue of junk foods being sold in and around schools and it is not all that pretty for food manufacturers in the country.

Indonesia wants better, healthier food products at schools

05-Jan-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Indonesia will more tightly supervise the sale of food products sold in and around schools in 2012, if a government agency-backed effort to reduce the impact of unhealthy snacks on the country's 50 million 6-18 year-olds is OK'd at senior level.