Dry steam shifts the sticky stuff

01-Jul-2010 - One of the problems with being a major confectionery manufacturer is cleaning up after batch production, particularly getting rid of machine-clogging glucose and sugar.

Get the right mix for soups and sauces

01-Jul-2010 - Advanced Engineering has won a second order for soups and sauces mixers from Tanfield Foods to help Tanfield expand its production output.

All-round winners for lollipop makers

01-Jul-2010 - Totally spherical ball lollipops can now be produced by sweet makers, thanks to the latest innovations in lollipop depositing from Baker Perkins.

Lotte group set to acquire Wedel in Poland from Kraft

28-Jun-2010 - Ending months of speculation, Asian confectionery giant Lotte Group will acquire the Wedel business in Poland from Kraft Foods, subject to regulatory approval.

Mars: Choose evolution (not revolution) for NPD

23-Jun-2010 - Game-changing innovation is not – and should not – be the top priority for every new product development team, especially in the current economic climate, according to the boss of one of the nation’s biggest brands.

Nestlé York staff reject pay offer but agree to more talks

16-Jun-2010 - Union members at Nestlé’s York chocolate factory have rejected an offer from company bosses of a 1% pay rise but agreed to resume talks.

Enfield-based chocolatier targets the supermarkets

15-Jun-2010 - Enfield-based chocolate manufacturer Chocolaterie Casemir is developing prototype bars and gift boxes targeted at the supermarkets as part of a strategic plan to diversify beyond the hospitality sector.

Big Bear: “We have no plans to re-open IPO process”

15-Jun-2010 - Sugar Puffs and Poppets maker Big Bear Group has “no plans to re-open the IPO [initial public offering] process” for the business, director Paul Wilkinson has insisted.

Ex-Innocent Drinks entrepreneurs secure first major listing for gum

11-Jun-2010 - Peppersmith - the premium gum firm created by former Innocent Drinks executives Mike Stevens and Dan Shrimpton – has secured its first supermarket listing.

Nestlé and unions to thrash out pay deal

02-Jun-2010 - Nestlé UK and trade unions are to meet next week in another effort to come to an agreement over staff pay.

Unions urge Nestlé to talk about pay

21-May-2010 - Trades unions have written to Nestlé UK requesting fresh talks over wages as it now seems increasingly likely that members will reject its offer of a 1% increase in basic pay for staff at its York chocolate factory.

Manufacturers "too cautious” with best-before dates

19-May-2010 - Food manufacturers are being “far too cautious” when it comes to setting best-before dates for many ambient food products, according to a leading academic in the field of sensory shelf-life testing.

Nestlé makes fresh commitment on sustainable palm oil

17-May-2010 - Nestlé has pledged to crack down on companies “owning or managing high-risk palm oil plantations or farms linked to deforestation” as part of a new commitment to sustainable sourcing.

Thorntons extracts 'significant savings' from online auctions

12-May-2010 - Thorntons has made some significant savings through using online auctions to procure raw materials and some ‘bought-in’ products, buyers have revealed.

RSSL takes on global R&D role as Kraft restructures

10-May-2010 - Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) will house an expanded global science and technology centre supporting Kraft worldwide following a radical restructuring that will also see Cadbury Bournville transformed into a global centre of excellence for chocolate research.

BioPlus: Sucralose sales could double in 4-5 years

10-May-2010 - Volumes of sucralose sold in Europe could double in the next four to five years, according to one supplier challenging Tate & Lyle’s monopoly of the market.

Nestlé staff “very unlikely” to accept 1% pay offer

07-May-2010 - Early indications are that the 1% rise in basic pay offered to staff at Nestlé UK’s York factory might not be enough to avert the threat of industrial action.

Cadbury’s Polish chocolate factory ‘operational in Q2’

06-May-2010 - The Polish chocolate factory at the centre of the row over Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury will start manufacturing products destined for the UK market in the second quarter of this year.

Nestlé proposes ‘modest’ pay rise at York

19-Apr-2010 - Nestlé UK has offered staff at its York factory a 1% pay rise in order to avert the threat of industrial action.

Ex-Innocent Drinks entrepreneurs expand gum business

19-Apr-2010 - Peppersmith - the premium chewing gum firm created by former Innocent Drinks executives Mike Stevens and Dan Shrimpton, is aiming to expand beyond gum into mints and other confectionery products.

News in brief

Holland & Barrett launches search for 500 new Christmas products

16-Apr-2010 - Speciality food manufacturers are being invited to pitch their wares to Holland & Barrett and Julian Graves at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on May 13 as the retailers seek to spice up their Christmas range.

Feature

Welcome to the dark side

15-Apr-2010 - With the trend towards dark chocolate gaining momentum, cocoa bean prices are rising, as are calls for certification. Michelle Knott reports

lean manufacturing qualification on trial

15-Apr-2010 - Confectionery firm Swizzels Matlow is one of the first companies to test a qualification for the food manufacturing industry based on the principles of lean manufacturing.

Catch the fast tube to sherbet 


15-Apr-2010 - Sewtec Automation has designed and installed a bespoke packing line for the new plastic tube in Tangerine Confectionery's iconic Sherbet Fountain.