News Desk

Stay ahead of the curve with real-time updates, expert insights, and breaking news from the global confectionery industry. At International Confectionery, we bring you in-depth coverage on the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the world of chocolate, sweets, ingredients, packaging, and production technology.

Check back regularly for the latest updates, and be sure to become an International Confectionery member to get access to our newsletters, videos, and latest issues, giving you direct access to top confectionery stories as they happen.

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Vote for Ingredient of the Year at the International Confectionery Awards 2026. Discover the four finalists and cast your vote before 9 November.

Vote for Product of the Year

Confectionery Awards, International Confectionery Awards, Product of the Year

Vote for Product of the Year at the International Confectionery Awards 2026. Discover the four finalists and cast your vote before 9 November.

Confectionery for Celebrations

Ethnic & Cultural, halloween, Seasonal

Building Safer AI into Confectionery

Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Big Interview, Gleb Tsipursky

Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, behavioural scientist and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work reveals why confectionery manufacturers need clear limits on the authority given to AI agents as automation becomes increasingly autonomous.

Gulfood Manufacturing Exhibitor – Theegarten

Gulfood Manufacturing, Packaging, Theegarten-Pactec

Product News

TimTam Mint launches in Waitrose

Arnott’s Group, Bars, Chocolate, TimTam, Waitrose

Cargill Introduces Coconera in Europe

alternatives, Cargill, Chocolate, Coconera, Healthy, Ingredients

Cargill introduces its Coconera cocoa butter equivalent range to Europe, offering confectionery manufacturers greater formulation and supply flexibility.

TopGum Launches Gut Health Gummies

Gum Based, Healthy, Nutraceutical, TopGum, TopGum Ingustries

TopGum introduces new gut-health gummies featuring Akkermansia, prebiotics, probiotics and fibre-based formulations at SupplySide Global 2026.

STELLA launches 2 new flavours

Bars, Chocolate, STELLA

On 1 October 2026, STELLA will launch its new Matcha Strawberry Ube bar: a combination of fresh matcha, fruity strawberry and purple ube that is currently unique in Swiss chocolate

Ferrero Reveals Wonka Range

Chocolate, Ferrero, Soft Confectionery, Willy Wonka

Ferrero launches an all-new range of much-anticipated Wonka products, created with the expertise of its UK Research & Development team and manufacturing colleagues in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

Hames Sees Christmas Orders Double

Chocolate, Hames Chocolates, Seasonal

Hames Chocolates has reported forward orders for Christmas chocolates at more than double last year’s, as the Lincolnshire-based chocolate manufacturer gears up for the festive season with its biggest-ever seasonal range.

Stockley’s Increases Seasonal Offerings

Hard Confectionery, Seasonal, Stockley’s

The ‘confectionery creatives’ at Stockley’s certainly haven’t been idle, which is why this September will see the highly anticipated arrival of Chocolate Candy Cane Sweets to their flourishing gift carton offer PLUS a packaging refresh for their time-honoured Lancashire Mix.

SOMIC Introduces New Packaging Machine

Pack Expo 2026, Packaging, SOMIC

SOMIC Packaging will introduce its new SOMIC 202 machine platform to the North American market at PACK EXPO International 2026, alongside its established SOMIC 434 system and new digital service technologies designed to improve end-of-line packaging efficiency.

Haldiram’s expands premium sweets range

Haldiram’s UK, Premium, Seasonal

Haldiram’s is expanding its portfolio of traditional Indian sweets with the launch of Coconut Burfi, a new product, alongside a limited-edition Modak assortment created for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Baker & Baker Launch Food-To-Go Range

Baker & Baker, Bars, Cadbury, Chocolate

European bakery products manufacturer Baker & Baker has launched a new range of Cadbury Dairy Milk food-to-go (FTG) bars in conjunction with Mondelēz.

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Nestlé appoints Group General Counsel

Chocolate, Nestle, Nestlé Global

Nestlé’s Board of Directors has appointed Manuela Bernasconi, currently General Counsel for Zone Americas, as Group General Counsel and a member of the Group Executive Board, effective 1 January 2027. After seven years as Nestlé’s Group General Counsel, Leanne Geale will retire.

IFF Makes Double Senior Appointment

Colourings & Flavourings, IFF, Ingredients

IFF has appointed Mark Hotze as chief commercial officer and Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder as senior vice president, Texturizing Solutions, for its Food Ingredients business, strengthening its leadership team as the business prepares to become a standalone company.

David Hulays Named Hershey CFO

Bars, Chocolate, The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company has announced that Dave Hulays has been named Chief Financial Officer, effective September 2, 2026, succeeding Steve Voskuil. Hulays, who most recently served as Senior Vice President, Finance, brings nearly 30 years of financial leadership experience at Hershey and Procter & Gamble to the role.

Joseph Clarke Joins SIAL Innovation Jury

SIAL, SIAL 2026, SIAL paris

Joseph Clarke, Senior Editor of Hand Media International’s International Confectionery magazine, has been appointed to the judging panel for the SIAL Paris Innovation Awards 2026.

Oterra Names Susanne Arfelt Rajamand CEO

Colourings & Flavourings, Ingredients, Oterra

Oterra Names Susanne Arfelt Rajamand CEO

Barry Callebaut appoints new COO

Barry Callebaut, Bars, Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate

Barry Callebaut has appointed Thomas Gaengler as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a member of its Executive Committee, effective 1 September 2026, as the chocolate and cocoa supplier continues to advance its Focus for Growth strategy.

A Taste of Monty Bojangles

interview, Monty Bojangles

In this exclusive interview, International Confectionery Senior Editor Joseph Clarke speaks with Abbie, a product developer at Monty Bojangles.

Heather Hoytink Named Hershey U.S. President

Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate, Ethical Sourcing, The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company announced that Heather Hoytink has been named President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. Hoytink brings more than 20 years of sales, operations and commercial leadership experience, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages at PepsiCo.

Mondelēz International Appoints EVP and CFO

Bars, Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate, Mondelēz International

Mondelēz International has announced the appointment of Amit Banati as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 1, 2026.

Robert Berge Joins Theegarten Management

Packaging, Theegarten-Pactec

Robert Berge joined the Theegarten-Pactec executive team on 1 June 2026. His arrival comes ahead of the retirement of long-standing Managing Director Dr Egbert Röhm, scheduled for the end of 2028. With this appointment, the packaging machinery manufacturer is setting the course early for a smooth succession.

Event News

Industry Champion Voting is Open

Bakery Awards, Industry Champion, International Bakery Awards

Vote Now for Woman of the Year

Confectionery Awards, Woman of the Year

Vote Now – Packaging Machine of the Year

International Confectionery Awards, Packaging, Packaging Machine of the Year

Vote for your Machine of the Year

International Confectionery Awards, International Confectionery Awards 2026, Machine of the Year

Vote for your Plant-Based Solution Winner

International Confectionery Awards, Plant-Based Solution, Plant-Based Solution of the Year Award

The Power of Plant-Based Colours

Colourings & Flavourings, Gulfood Manufacturing, Ingredients, Vegan

GNT will demonstrate how plant-based EXBERRY® colours can deliver vibrant shades while supporting natural ingredient lists at Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 (November 3-5, Dubai).

Ingredient of the Year Voting Opens

Confectionery Awards, International Confectionery, International Confectionery Awards

Vote for Ingredient of the Year at the International Confectionery Awards 2026. Discover the four finalists and cast your vote before 9 November.

Vote for Product of the Year

Confectionery Awards, International Confectionery Awards, Product of the Year

Vote for Product of the Year at the International Confectionery Awards 2026. Discover the four finalists and cast your vote before 9 November.

Gulfood Manufacturing Exhibitor – Theegarten

Gulfood Manufacturing, Packaging, Theegarten-Pactec

Gulfood Manufacturing Exhibitor – BCH

BCH Ltd, featured, Gulfood Manufacturing, Turnkey

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Project News

Infra-Red Heating Improves Chocolate Quality

Bars, Chocolate, Heraeus Noblelight, Magna

Heraeus Noblelight’s carbon medium-wave infra-red heating systems are helping Magna Speciality Confectioners achieve more consistent quality in filled chocolate products, while reducing energy consumption and equipment footprint compared with its previous heating arrangements.

Cordillera Expands ATENEA Programme

Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate, Cordillera, Cordillera Chocolate, Ethical Sourcing

Community consultations are under way in the cocoa-growing regions Magdalena and Cesar ahead of two new cohorts scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Nexture Publishes First Sustainability Report

CSM Ingredients, Ingredients, Nexture, sustainability

Nexture has published its first Group Sustainability Report, establishing a shared framework for reducing environmental impacts, improving responsible sourcing and developing more sustainable ingredient solutions.

Domori Launches in the UK

Bars, Chocolate, Domori, Premium

Italian chocolate producer Domori has introduced its professional couverture chocolate range to the UK, targeting chocolatiers, pastry chefs, gelato makers and other specialist dessert producers.

KitKat Drives Formula 1 Excitement

Bars, Chocolate, KitKat, Nestle

Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has brought the excitement of the KitKat and Formula 1® partnership to travellers at Singapore Changi Airport through a high-impact activation combining immersive brand experiences, personalisation and travel retail-exclusive products.

GNT Secures ISO Carbon Verification

Colourings & Flavourings, EXBERRY, GNT, Ingredients

GNT has become one of the first food colour manufacturers worldwide to have its Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) methodology independently verified in line with the ISO standard.

Celebrating US National Real Sugar Day

Ingredients, National Sugar Day, Sugar & Sweeteners, The Sugar Association

The Sugar Association will celebrate National Real Sugar Day on October 15 by recognising real sugar’s role as a real, recognisable ingredient in real food. This year’s celebration also highlights that real sugar is rooted in nature and is at the heart of real recipes and scratch cooking.

Nexture to Acquire Dubai’s La Crema

Chocolate, Ingredients, La Crema, Nexture

Nexture has signed an agreement to acquire Dubai-based ingredients manufacturer La Crema, a move that will establish the group’s first manufacturing presence in the Middle East while expanding its portfolio of chocolate, bakery and pastry solutions.

Mars reports cocoa sourcing progress

Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate, Ethical Sourcing, Mars

Mars has reported further progress in its cocoa sourcing programme, with suppliers sourcing an annual volume of cocoa under its Responsible Sourced Cocoa programme equivalent to 98% of the company’s 2025 cocoa volume.

Luker Chocolate Showcases Heritage

Bean-to-Bar, Chocolate, Ethical Sourcing, luker chocolate

Luker Chocolate, the Colombian B Corp B4B (business for business) chocolate manufacturer, returns to lunch!, part of the London Food & Drink Festival at Excel between 16 and 17 September. The company goes ‘back to basics’ to celebrate 120 years of heritage, expertise and sustainability in cr

Infra-Red Heating Improves Chocolate Quality

Industry Champion Voting is Open

Vote Now for Woman of the Year

GNT Secures ISO Carbon Verification

Anuga FoodTec India is Open

Smart confectionery packaging

TopGum Launches Gut Health Gummies

Domori Launches in the UK

KitKat Drives Formula 1 Excitement

Warsaw Pack

SIGEP World

SIAL Shanghai

October 2026 Issue

Infra-Red Heating Improves Chocolate Quality

Industry Champion Voting is Open

Vote Now for Woman of the Year

Vote Now – Packaging Machine of the Year

TimTam Mint launches in Waitrose

Cordillera Expands ATENEA Programme

Infra-Red Heating Improves Chocolate Quality

Industry Champion Voting is Open

Vote Now for Woman of the Year

GNT Secures ISO Carbon Verification

Anuga FoodTec India is Open

Smart confectionery packaging

TopGum Launches Gut Health Gummies

Domori Launches in the UK

KitKat Drives Formula 1 Excitement

Warsaw Pack

SIGEP World

SIAL Shanghai

October 2026 Issue

Infra-Red Heating Improves Chocolate Quality

Industry Champion Voting is Open

Vote Now for Woman of the Year

Vote Now – Packaging Machine of the Year

TimTam Mint launches in Waitrose

Cordillera Expands ATENEA Programme

News Desk

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October 2026 Issue

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