Confectionery

Whether you’re in chocolate or candy manufacture; in count lines or luxury items; health or indulgence, it’s all about new markets and product innovation; process efficiencies and consolidation. People want the sweet things in life, but at a price they are prepared to pay. Keep on top of the latest business trends and science about cocoa and sugar.

Intersnack's seven figure investment in UK snacks

03-Feb-2012 - European giant Intersnack is challenging PepsiCo and United Biscuits brands in the UK as it prepares to dramatically increase its profile, with a seven-figure investment in UK production.

More Fairtrade chocolate products promises Nestlé

01-Feb-2012 - Nestlé has pledged to make more chocolate products with Fairtrade cocoa when fresh supplies become available.

Firms breathe new life into paper and board

30-Jan-2012 - Decoration and shaping technologies for board and paper are creating new opportunities particularly in confectionery, as witnessed by visitors to the recent ProSweets show in Germany.

Happy Christmas for Finsbury Foods

23-Jan-2012 - Cake manufacturer Finsbury Foods has reported strong growth in its latest trading update despite weak consumer confidence in the sector, according to city analysts.

Sugar boosts growth at Associated British Foods

19-Jan-2012 - Higher sugar prices have lead to “encouraging” growth at Associated British Foods (ABF), according to city analysts, after the firm announced its latest financial results for the period ending January 7.

News in brief

Ferrero Group appoints new md

13-Jan-2012 - Confectionery firm Ferrero Group has appointed Pieraldo Oldano as the new md of Ferrero UK & Ireland.

Burton's biscuit firm signs export deal

11-Jan-2012 - Burton's Biscuit Company has signed a deal with Canada's largest supermarket firm Loblaw in a move that will boost its total exports by £70M over the next two years.

General Mills launches new global innovation technology

09-Jan-2012 - General Mills has expanded its worldwide open innovation programme with the launch of new technologies to allow it to collaborate with external organisations that can help it to market its product range online.

News in brief

Nestlé to quit Croydon for Gatwick

06-Jan-2012 - After years of speculation, confectionery giant Nestlé has finally confirmed its intention to move its UK head quarters from Croydon, south London to a site near Gatwick airport by the end of this year.

Jim’ll Fix it star wows Nestlé with new Treasure bar

03-Jan-2012 - Confectionery giant Nestlé has confirmed that a new chocolate bar, designed by a talented youngster as part of a Jim’ll Fix It Christmas special, could hit UK stores this year.

Automation to survive the storm

01-Jan-2012 - Momentum is growing for greater capital investment by small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers (SMEs) to improve their productivity. This is despite the harsh economic environment facing the sector and problems reported by some SMEs in obtaining finance from the banks.

Way to go for non-stop operation

01-Jan-2012 - At the ProSweets exhibition in Cologne later this month, Gerhard Schubert will demonstrate a picker line for chocolate bears, cookies, candies and much more.

Feature

Sweet on stevia

01-Jan-2012 - Does stevia have the wings to get the sugar-free/ tooth-friendly confectionery market off the ground? Lynda Searby reports

Highland Chocolatier takes high road to success

16-Dec-2011 - Chocolate manufacturer Highland Chocolatier is investing £200,000 in quadrupling the size of its production area in a bid to expand capacity to meet rapidly rising demand.

UK chocolate bucks EU confectionery trend

14-Dec-2011 - Chocolate-hungry consumers are helping UK manufacturers buck the European trend of stagnant confectionery sales, according to market research organisation Mintel.

Kraft to axe 200 Cadbury jobs and invest £50M

06-Dec-2011 - Cadbury-owner Kraft Foods is to cut 200 jobs while investing £50M in chocolate and biscuit manufacturing.

Side-feed wrapper has novel benefits up its sleeve

05-Dec-2011 - Shrink wrapping equipment supplier Yorkshire Packaging Systems (YPS) has completed a hat-trick of installations at the factory of jam and preserves manufacturer Wilkin & Sons in Tiptree, Essex.

Easy-cleaning honey filter cuts downtime

05-Dec-2011 - Norwegian-based honey producer Honningcentralen has experienced steady growth over the years. The firm recently built a metal edge industrial filter with a 63 micron wedgewire screen into its new production line to remove foreign bodies from the honey such as wax and bee wings. The existing filter needed manual cleaning, which lost production time.

Burton's Foods rebrand challenges United Biscuits

23-Nov-2011 - Jammie Dodgers maker Burton's Foods is rebranding its business to Burton's Biscuit Company, in a move that “puts it on the heels” of biscuit giant United Biscuits, according to one analyst.