Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

GUEST ARTICLE: Click for Cupid…Maximizing Valentine’s Day sales online

08-Feb-2016 By Keith Anderson, VP, strategy & insights, Profitero

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), a quarter of Valentine’s shoppers went online to shop and/or buy gifts in 2015, up from 16.3% the prior year. 

Gen Mills challenges Cheerios Protein lawsuit: Plaintiffs ‘completely misunderstand’ federal regs

03-Feb-2016 By Elaine Watson

General Mills has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging it misled shoppers by presenting Cheerios Protein as a “high protein, healthful alternative to Cheerios”, and insists the product complies with all relevant food labeling regulations.

Financial Results

Hershey sees international glitch driven by China's weak chocolate appetite

30-Jan-2016 By Douglas Yu

Hershey’s international sales plummeted 26.8% to $281.5m in the fourth quarter primarily due to declines in China.

Chobani loses first round of legal battle in Simply 100 false advertising spat, but says it is winning the war

29-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

Dannon and General Mills are claiming victory in their legal spat with rival Chobani over the latter’s provocative new ad campaign for its Simply 100 Greek Yogurt after a judge granted their requests for a preliminary injunction to stop Chobani making...

Exclusive podcast

Candyman returns: Jelly bean innovator back in business via crowdfunding

28-Jan-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Cult personality David Klein speaks to ConfectioneryNews about his new jelly bean business that is seeking online funding through a Kickstarter campaign.

Coca-Cola Life not setting world on fire in the US, says Bernstein analyst: 'The novelty has worn off'

27-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

As reports of lackluster sales of mid-calorie soda Coca-Cola Life have surfaced in the UK, it appears that the stevia-and-cane sugar-sweetened beverage has not set the world on fire in the US either, with sales peaking in March 2015 and steadily falling...

WHO report backs a tax on sugary drinks to halt child obesity

26-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

A report commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) backs a tax on sugary drinks, mandatory nutrient labelling and restrictions on marketing to children in a bid to tackle the child obesity epidemic around the world.

GLG utilizes MycoTech’s mushroom-fueled bitter blocking technology to tackle bitterness in stevia, monk fruit

25-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

Natural sweetener specialist GLG will launch stevia and monk fruit sweeteners utilizing the bitter-blocking powers of mushroom mycelium (roots) after striking a deal with Colorado-based MycoTechnology. 

Sales of sweet baked snacks slow, but single-serve holds promise, Packaged Facts finds

18-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sales of single-serve packages is a rare bright spot in the otherwise beleaguered sweet baked snack category, sales of which are slowing dramatically as consumers reach for healthier options or freshly baked goods when they do indulge, according to Packaged...

The money diet: Spend more on food to be healthier, says 2000-strong study

18-Jan-2016 By Eliot Beer

People who increased the amount they spent on food made healthier choices, ate less energy-dense food and lost weight, which has implications for food taxes and consumer subsidies, say the authors of the long-term Spanish study.

New Jersey sports drink company learns from its mistakes

18-Jan-2016 By Hal Conick

After some false starts, Jersey Pump CEO Dany Nohra believes his company is on the right track in the growing sports and energy drink market.

Ingredion invests $30m into expanding production capabilities in Mexico

15-Jan-2016 By Elaine WATSON

Ingredion has pumped $30m into expanding capacity at its San Juan del Rio manufacturing facility in Mexico.

Safety warnings could deter parents from buying sugar-sweetened drinks

15-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Adding warning labels about weight gain, disease and tooth decay to sugar-sweetened beverages, as proposed by several state bills, could deter parents from buying them for their children, a new study reveals. 

General Mills: Chobani’s 'wilfully deceptive' ads assert that safe & legal ingredients in rival products are toxic and unsafe

13-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

The legal firestorm prompted by Chobani’s provocative new ad campaign for its Simply 100 Greek yogurt range has intensified this week as General Mills has filed a lawsuit accusing Chobani of false advertising and unfair competition.

ALDI pledges to ditch junk food at its US store checkouts by the year-end

13-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

ALDI USA will replace chocolate and candy at the checkouts at its nearly 1,500 US stores with nuts, trail mix, dried fruits and granola bars by the end of the year, its CEO has confirmed.

What are the key beverage trends - and companies - to watch in 2016?

11-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

What distinguishes the winners from the losers in the ultra-competitive beverages market?

'The huge disparity between what the guidelines advocate and what Americans actually eat is beyond alarming'

Dietitians respond to 2015 Dietary Guidelines: ‘The American public needs more forceful messages.’

07-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

What do registered dietitians and nutritionists think of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and how much do they ultimately matter, since the gulf between what Americans are told to eat – and what they actually eat - remains huge?

Global food prices plunged by nearly 20% in 2015

07-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

In 2015 prices of the world’s major commodities fell for the fourth year in a row, averaging nearly one fifth (19.1%) lower than in 2014, says the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Chobani unveils media campaign to support Simply 100 Greek yogurt: ‘It’s a choice between natural and artificial’

06-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

Chobani has launched a multi-media campaign homing in on the ‘all-natural’ credentials of its Simply 100 Greek yogurt range and drawing shoppers’ attention to ‘artificial’ ingredients in rival products.

Seeds, avocados and clean-eating will gain traction in 2016, RDNs predict

04-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nutrient-dense and protein-packed seeds will steal the show in 2016, predict 450 registered dietitian nutritionists surveyed by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian.

Supplemented chocolate: A new confections category set for growth, says Energems

21-Dec-2015 By Douglas Yu

Energems has been accepted as a member at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and says the new confectionery category of chocolate energy supplements it has created is poised for growth.

New study reveals Canadian attitude towards free-from products

17-Dec-2015 By Adi Menayang

There’s a widening sense of distrust from Canadian consumers against food manufacturers, especially when it comes to free-from claims on packaging. A Mintel study conducted in September found that a whopping 65% of Canadians see the free-from label as...

Back to Nature Foods Co. repositions SnackWell’s as a “free-from” line

17-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Back to Nature Foods Co.’s revitalization of the recently acquired iconic SnackWell’s brand is an example of how established companies can refresh aging brands that are struggling to better compete with new products from disruptive startups.

PureCircle unveils Zeta family of stevia products targeting low to zero-cal formulations

14-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

PureCircle has developed a new family of stevia-based sweeteners designed to shine in low to zero-calorie formulations, an application area that has proved particularly challenging as formulators seek to retain a ‘clean, sugar-like’ taste at higher dosage...

Food for kids!

True Drinks strikes budget-friendly balance between marketing AquaBall to kids and parents

11-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

A common conundrum for marketers of children’s food and beverages is how to engage two sets of stakeholders without doubling the budget. 

Undone Chocolate rebrands to highlight unique ingredients & reflect gourmet status

08-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

For Undone Chocolate, what is in a name is not as important as what is in its gourmet bars, which is why the startup is dropping individual product names in favor of umbrella branding and highlighting key ingredients. 

The Right Cup positions plain water as a desirable alternative to sugary drinks

07-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

A self-proclaimed “sugar-fighter,” the founder and CEO of The Right Cup is taking on America’s addiction to sweetened beverages with the upcoming launch of a scented cup that tricks the brain into thinking plain water is a fruit-flavored beverage. 

Sugar addiction much harder to address than salt

01-Dec-2015 By David Burrows

Weaning the public off salt is a piece of cake compared to reducing their addiction to sugar, scientists have discovered.

Corn and sugar lobbies bury the hatchet, settle 'corn sugar' lawsuit

23-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

After almost five years of bitter legal wrangling, the corn and sugar lobbies have buried the hatchet and settled their legal dispute – mid-trial – over the marketing of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

FDA denies GMO labeling petition: What matters is the characteristics of the food itself, not the process by which it was made

23-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has rejected a citizen’s petition calling for mandatory labeling of foods from genetically engineered crops, arguing that labels are not warranted unless there is a material difference in the safety or nutritional profile of the foods in question.

Sweet Green Fields CEO: We are finally getting close to solving the stevia taste challenge

20-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Not so long ago, pundits were predicting that the high-purity stevia extracts market would be worth a billion dollars as manufacturers ditched artificial sweeteners and embraced ‘all-natural’ alternatives. 

US retail sales of diet soda remain in freefall, reveals latest Nielsen data

20-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Unit sales of diet soda are still falling at an alarming rate in the US retail market, with the latest Nielsen data (all channels including grocery, drug, mass, and c-stores) showing an 8.2% decline in the four weeks to October 31 vs the same period a...

Quest Nutrition president: 'Our goal is to end metabolic disease'

11-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Quest Nutrition has a somewhat ambitious mission statement (“Our goal is to end metabolic disease,” says president Tom Bilyeu). But while it may be some time before the El Segundo-based firm can tick this particular goal off its checklist, its progress...

Study questions association between junk food and obesity, points finger at total calories consumed

09-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Demonizing unhealthy food as the primary cause of weight gain may be off-track, suggest researchers who found consumption of fast food, sweets and salty snacks alone may not be the harbinger of obesity it often is made out to be. 

Medical experts and industry slam study linking sugary drinks to heart failure

06-Nov-2015 By Michael Hurley

A study suggesting men consuming two or more sugary drinks per day are more likely to suffer heart failure does not provide conclusive evidence, say medical professionals while industry calls it 'unhelpful'.

KIND cuts added sugar in Fruit & Nut bars ahead of potential “added sugar” label change

05-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

KIND LLC will significantly reduce added sugar in some of its snack bars in spring 2016, which will make its label more appealing to health conscious shoppers, especially if FDA’s proposal to include added sugar in the Nutrition Facts box becomes a reality. 

General Mills blasts ‘unprecedented’ FDA added sugars proposal: ‘We respectfully ask FDA to pause’

30-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Food manufacturers remain sharply divided over FDA proposals to crack down on added sugar, with General Mills and other big names such as Kellogg and Unilever strongly opposed; and Nestlé, Mars, and KIND LLC in favor, according to the latest wave of comments...

SupplySide West

CIFI’s sweet potato juice, dry ingredients can help clean up product labels, reduce food waste

29-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The time is here for sweet potatoes, according to industry newcomer Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients, Inc., which says ingredients from the vegetable can help manufacturers clean up labels, cut calories and sugar, tap into key consumer trends such...

Cargill continues to expand markets for erythritol with flavor applications

28-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Cargill’s new positioning of its erythritol as a flavor opens up new avenues for the ingredient which up to now has mostly been pigeonholed as a bulk sweetener, the company says.

One size fits all CPG products are so last century, says YouBar founder: Customization is the future

28-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Big brands have always sought to convince us that by purchasing their mass-produced wares we are expressing ourselves (although it’s hard to argue that buying a Coke – even with your name on it - is a bold expression of individualism). But how can food...

True Drinks teams up with Niagara Bottling to make AquaBall preservative-free

27-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

True Drinks Holdings has struck a deal with Niagara Bottling under which the latter will produce a preservative-free formulation of True Drinks’ flagship sugar- and calorie-free kids’ beverage AquaBall.

Judge tosses most claims in Whole Foods evaporated cane juice lawsuit

27-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

A judge has tossed most of the claims in a class action lawsuit alleging Whole Foods is trying to disguise the use of added sugar in its 365 store brand products by using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’.

MycoTech brings in another $9 million based in part on promise of mushroom platform to smooth stevia's taste

21-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

MycoTechnology, a company that uses mushrooms to alter taste profiles in foods and beverages, has announced a major stevia product launch and the close of a second round of funding.

Public Health England tells UK government: Sugar taxes do work

21-Oct-2015 By Niamh Michail

All the evidence shows that sugar taxes decrease purchases and curb obesity– but restricting price promotions and junkfood advertising could have an even bigger impact, concludes Public Health England's report to the UK government.

SupplySide West 2015

Sugar alternatives evolve but some consumers still want the real thing

21-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

In recent years, sugar has replaced fat and sodium as public enemy No. 1 in the nation’s fight against obesity and diabetes – prompting consumers to shun the ingredient and manufacturers to seek alternative sweeteners.

Transparency only way to communicate EverSweet's benefits, Cargill says

16-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Cargill conquered the technical challenges of bringing a fermented Reb D/Reb M stevia ingredient to market. Clearing the consumer acceptance hurdle was best handled by being as transparent as possible about the ingredient, a company executive said.

Back to the Future? Ferrara engages millennials in the confectionery aisle with focus on gummy, chewy, spicy, and sour

09-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

While we’re often told that millennials are rejecting the brands their parents grew up with, the same rules don’t necessarily apply in the candy aisle, notes the CEO of Ferrara Candy Co (est. 1908), who says millennials and Gen Z-ers are driving the double-digit...

TPP trade agreement ‘good news' for US confectioners: SUA president

07-Oct-2015 By Hal Conick

The recent finalization of the Trans Pacific Partnership is good news for confectioners and sugar-using manufacturers across the US, according to Rick Pasco, president of Sweetener Users Association (SUA).

What will ditching artificial ingredients really do for big CPG brands?

06-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

While ditching ‘artificial’ ingredients may not transform the fortunes of flagging legacy brands, consumer survey data from Instantly suggests it may give consumers a warmer and fuzzier feeling about them, and convey the impression (deservedly or otherwise)...

Cargill: 'This opens up a new space and helps us address a market we can’t get to today from the leaf'

Next generation Reb D + M to debut at Supply Side West: 'It performs exceptionally well in diet soda'

01-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Cargill and Evolva will introduce their hotly-anticipated ‘next-generation’ Reb D and Reb M sweetener – produced via fermentation rather than from the stevia leaf – at the Supply Side West show next week under the EverSweet brand as they prepare for a...