Chocolate News
Barry Callebaut Shares Chocolate Trends for 2023 and Beyond
PERISHABLENEWS.COM Chocolate confectionery is an important and dynamic market, expected to be worth over $128 billion/ €107 billion in global retail sales by the end of 2023, with a volume Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 1.9% CAGR over the next 3 years to 2025, according to Euromonitor 2022 research. Innovation plays a key role in that growth projection to meet the latest needs of consumers. The type of indulgence consumers choose depends on their mood or mindset, and their specific attitude towards life.M&M’s new packaging is causing a stir
M&M’S is making a statement with its latest candy pack, which features an all-female set of characters — including Purple, its newest addition. It put the company once again knee-deep into culture wars controversy. Candy maker Mars announced that the limited edition all-female pack will include only Purple, Brown and Green — the candy’s trio of female characters, who are upside-down on the package — to “celebrate women everywhere who are flipping the status quo.” The packs are currently on sale.
Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! January 27, 2023
Dark Chocolate Isn’t the Only Food With Heavy Metals.
A recent Consumer Reports investigation struck fear into the hearts of chocolate lovers everywhere. After testing 28 dark chocolate bars, scientists detected the heavy metals lead and cadmium in all of them. For 23 of the chocolate bars, eating just an ounce would put an adult above the daily upper threshold recommended for heavy metals in food by public-health officials in California, which the authors said they chose because it is the most protective standard available. Experts say, however, that this report offers just one small window into a larger problem. Heavy metals are detectable in many different foods, and limited testing and a lack of labeling requirements leave consumers in the dark. But there are steps you can take to limit your exposure and protect your family. Read more HERE.
Confectioners defend safety of dark chocolate
The National Confectioners Association has defended the safety of dark chocolate after Consumer Reports brought attention to the amount of cadmium and lead in the products in a report issued Dec. 15. “Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries,” the NCA said. “The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) guidelines cited in the Consumer Reports study are not food safety standards. An expert investigation conducted through our prior California Proposition 65 settlement (with As You Sow) concluded that cadmium and lead are present in cocoa and chocolate due to soil and that bean cleaning during processing of cocoa beans reduces lead and cadmium in chocolate products…” Read more HERE.