Candy Industry articles from July 2008

Candy Industry archives from July 2008

Making most of the "m" word.(OPENINGS SHOTS)(Column)
July 1, 2008... Most of you are probably thinking that I'm referring to marketing as the "m" word in the headline. And trust me, I'm usually one of the first to emphasize the importance of marketing in today's highly competitive confectionery climate. ...

Lotte to acquire Guylian for $164 million....(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... South Korea's largest snack manufacturer, Seoul-based Lotte Confectionery, has established a new foothold in its efforts to expand globally, signing off on an agreement to acquire Sint-Niklaas, Belgium-based Guylian for 105 million euros ($164...

...But will retain current management.(NEWSLETTER)(Lotte USA Inc.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... A joint press release by Lotte and Guylian states that the existing management team, which also applies to operations in the United States, will remain intact. Lotte and the former family shareholders have agreed to "continue to invest" in the...

Congressmen Harkin, Engel laud progress on child labor in West Africa.(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... Citing their earlier fact-finding trip to the Ivory Coast (Cote d'lvoire) and Ghana, Senator Tom Harkin (DIowa) and Representative Eliot Engel(D--N.Y.) applauded the progress made by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) in combating forced...

Sweet deal as Bunge purchases Corn Products.(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... In a move that looks to take advantage of the rising value of corn as a base ingredient for a broad range of food products, White Plains, N.Y-based Bunge Ltd., an agri-business giant involved in fertilizers, edible oils and milled products,...

General Mills scoops up Larabar maker.(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... Food giant General Mills acquired Denver-based Humm Foods, the manufacturer of Larabar and Larabar Jocalat energy bars on June 11. The brands will become part of Small Planet Foods, the natural and organic products group of Minneapolis-based...

Mars teams up with USDA, IBM to map cocoa genome....(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... In an unprecedented effort to unlock the secrets of the cocoa plant, Mars, Inc. announced it's teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and IBM to sequence and analyze the entire cocoa...

... But effort will take five years.(NEWSLETTER)(study of cocoa genome)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Nevertheless, the three partners anticipate that it will take approximately five years to complete the entire sequencing, assembly, annotation and study of the cocoa genome. Scientists from USDA-ARS and Mars will conduct various aspects of the...

Fumes kill Blommer worker in Chicago chocolate plant.(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... Gerardo Castillo, a 30-year-old employee of the Blommer Chocolate Co., died on June 8 when overcome by fumes at the company's chocolate processing facility in Chicago. The accident occurred in the plant's alkalized cocoa processing area....

U.S. Sugar to sell farmland, plant to Florida in Everglades' redo.(NEWSLETTER)
July 1, 2008... It's expected to take six years, but when completed, U.S. Sugar Corp. will have sold 187,000 acres (about 300 square miles) of cane fields to Florida as part of a complicated land swap to restore the Everglades to its original state. The...

Bochner Chocolates survives Iowa City flooding.(NEWS)
July 1, 2008... The address reads 1419 Waterfront Drive. Anyone, however, who's ever been to Bochner Chocolates would be hard-pressed to find a water view. It's a good 1,200 feet as the crow flies to where Ralston Creek joins the Iowa River. From the front...

BestSweet makes 'beeline' for organics as part of 20th fete.(NEWS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After 20 years of activity and growth in the confections and nutraceuticals industries as a private label and/or contract manufacturer, the Mooresville, N.C-based BestSweet, Inc. looks to further expand its branded...

Doing it 'Arway': confectionery supplier Arway Confections plays a behind-the-scenes role in the industry.(Cover story)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When the Resnick family purchased a struggling candy company in 1950, they never expected that years later a ten-year-old would run it. Born on Leap Day in 1968, Craig Leva, co-owner and vice president of Arway...

Stylin' with sugar: often overshadowed by chocolate, sugar confections can stand on their own, particularly when crafted by world renowned pastry chef Stephane Glacier, M.O.F.(ARTISANS IN ACTION)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Stephane Glacier visited The French Pastry School in Chicago this past June to conduct a course on sugar showpieces, one of the first things he told the students gathered was how lucky they were. "They were...

Staying current: in response to ever changing trends in the chocolate assortments category, companies are creating new products and packaging designs every chance they get.(CATEGORY CLOSE-UP: CHOCOLATE ASSORTMENTS)
July 1, 2008... "Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get"... but chances are it will be premium. Even Forrest Gump needs updating, at least when it comes to boxed assortments. Variety, of course, remains the driving force in...

Bestseller.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE COMPANY: The San Francisco Chocolate Factory, San Francisco THE PRODUCT: Book Lover's Chocolate THE HOOK: Joining collections like Wine Lover's, Coffee Lover's and Mountain Lover's chocolates is San...

'Just Born' cotton candy.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... THE COMPANY: Taste of Nature, Inc., Beverly Hills, Calif. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PRODUCT: Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike Cotton Candy THE HOOK: One of the leading manufacturers of pre-packaged cotton candy, Taste of Nature, Inc.,...

Emergency energy.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE COMPANY: VE2, Miami THE PRODUCT: Energy Gum THE HOOK: VE2 Energy Gum was created by an emergency room doctor looking for a way to stay alert without having to refrigerate the product or make constant...

Jer's Handmade Chocolates.(At a glance)
July 1, 2008... Solana Beach, Calif.-based Jer's Handmade Chocolates is turning its all natural peanut butter chocolate balls into bars. The same award-winning taste can be found in the new bars while the change in format will make the bars more convenient to...

The Hershey Co.(At a glance)
July 1, 2008... Hershey, Penn.-based The Hershey Co. celebrates the upcoming movie release of Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight with special edition Batman-themed treats. Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bats and Reese's Dark Peanut Butter Bats are...

The Promotion In Motion Co., Inc.(At a glance)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Closter, N.J.-based The Promotion In Motion Co., Inc. will debut its new Welch's Fruit Snacks Island Fruits variety in the first quarter of 2009. The snacks will feature a combination of tropical flavors, including Strawberry-Banana, Mango,...

Just Born Candies.(At a glance)
July 1, 2008... Bethlehem, Pa.-based Just Born Candies will offer 3-count Peeps Sugar-Free Pumpkins and Ghosts for Halloween 2008. The company is also introducing Peanut Chews in 100-ct. tubs and snack size pieces in 8-oz., 14-oz. or 3-lb. bags; and Mike and...

Hillside Candy.(At a glance)
July 1, 2008... Hillside, N.J.-based Hillside Candy presents 3.5-oz. standup gusseted bags along with two new flavors for its GoNaturally organic candy line. New flavors Pomegranate and Apple are joining original flavors Ginger, Honey Lemon, Cherry and Honey....

Xtra Care for pearly whites.(New Product Spotlight)
July 1, 2008... THE COMPANY: Cadbury, Parsippany N.J. THE PRODUCT: Trident Xtra Care THE HOOK: Cadbury has developed a gum to protect, strengthen and rebuild tooth enamel. Trident Xtra Care features a form of calcium derived from milk called...

Nutty treats.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... THE COMPANY: Bartons Candy, Allentown, Penn. THE PRODUCT: Nutjob THE HOOK: Bartons introduces an everyday snack to appease the biggest sweet tooth. The 2.2-oz. Nutjob bar contains peanut nougat with a layer of seasoned whole peanuts...

Number of new confectionery products launched globally by sub-category.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... Number of New Confectionery Products Launched Globally by Sub-Category Snack/ Total # Cereal/ of New Chocolate Energy...

Spicy chocolate pods.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... THE COMPANY: Chuao Chocolatier, Carlsbad, Calif. THE PRODUCT: Solid ChocoPods THE HOOK: After introducing part chocolate bar, part bonbon ChocoPods, Chuao Chocolatier has created solid ChocoPods. But they aren't just solid; they're...

Werther's chocolate, there's caramel.(Candy R&D: NEW PRODUCT MARKETPLACE)
July 1, 2008... THE COMPANY: Storck USA, LLP, Chicago THE PRODUCT: Werther's Caramel Chocolate THE HOOK: Storck USA introduces new Werther's Caramel Chocolates in milk and dark (with 42% cacao) chocolate featuring Werther's creamy caramel throughout...

Masking unpleasant tastes.(CREATORS' BRIEFS)
July 1, 2008... Symrise has created a new series of flavor masking solutions called SymLife Mask. Part of Symrise's Taste for Life branding platform, the flavors have been effective in hiding bitter, burning, chalky and salty tastes. The flavors can be used in...

Organic gum system debuts.(CREATORS' BRIEFS)
July 1, 2008... Hydrocolloid supplier TIC Gums presents its 100% certified organic Caragum 200. The TICorganic gum is based off the original non-organic Caragum 200, including the same ingredients but from a certified organic source. The gum provides both hot...

Color me natural and blue.(CREATORS' BRIEFS)
July 1, 2008... In response to rising consumer demand for natural products, WILD has developed a non-artificial blue coloring to be used in confectionery products. The blue anthocyanin powder is derived from natural raw ingredients and meets strict...

Packaging prowess: versatility, velocity dominate packaging development.(FOCUS FEATURE: PACKAGING PROWESS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TwinHead a smart option Bosch Packaging Technology's new TwinHead double-twist wrapping machine for filled and fragile hard candies uses a gentle packaging technology. This installation has fewer interfaces than...

Candy wrapper.
July 1, 2008... Teenagers can be picky when it comes to food. Rarely, however, does one child not only completely change a parent's lifestyle, but also inspires an entire organic candy line. A mother of three, Luna Roth had one daughter insistent on eating...