Further Thoughts on Cocoa and the Environment In my previous article, I raised questions about our industry’s continuing devotion to the concept of “100% Cocoa Ingredients”. In this I suggested that as over 80% of cocoa bean is fundamentally used for the production of cocoa butter then the time had come to challenge whether the …
Apr 04
Serious about Sustainability?
Serious about Sustainability? There has been a debate about the sustainability of many aspects of the confectionery business and in particular about Cocoa. However, none of these has actually asked the most significant question – why do we continue to grow large amounts of cocoa for cocoa butter production when technology has for many years …
Jan 16
Where will we be in 5 years time?
Where will be in 5 year’s time? Most small and medium sized confectionery businesses worry about where they will be in one year’s time, let alone crystal gazing for the future However, the future is important because if we do not understand and anticipate future trends then we will be left with a redundant business …
Jan 16
Understanding and Monitoring your Manufacturing Processes
Understanding and Monitoring your Manufacturing Process There are two core issues which are essential for any business:- • Produce a consistent, high quality product which meets the consumer’s needs • Ensure that operations are functioning within their cost limits and that opportunities for improvement are constantly sought. Every business is under a pressure of one …
Feb 13
Innovation – a vital tool for growth
The major businesses in our industry seem to have completely ceased to produce innovative new products – I’m sorry but putting a different biscuit in a chocolate bar or salt in a caramel is not innovation, at best it’s line extension. Effort and resources seem to be devoted solely to reducing costs, possibly to cover …
Feb 13
Aerated Confectionery – an introduction
It is often said (at least by accountants) that the two most important ingredients in confectionery are air and water. Whilst this may appear a trivial comment, it is worth remembering that both play a key role in determining the texture of many products, so perhaps there is some truth in the comment after all! …
Jul 11
Understanding the Flow of Fluids – Part 1
How (and why) liquids flow in the ways they do The liquids we encounter in the food and confectionery industries are some of the most complex and obscure in the ways they flow. Understanding why they behave in the strange ways they do – and being able to quantify it – is useful and can …
Jul 11
Innovative Ideas from a conservative industry
Interesting Ideas from Champagne Champagne is a huge product dominated by a number of large companies but there are also many smaller, less well known producers who have to compete in order to grow and flourish – sounds familiar? To many people “Champagne” is a generic product but this is far from true and the …
Feb 24
Radio Interview
I was interviewed on BBC radio 5 this morning about the Mars product recall. It seems to me to be a very professional response, particularly given the danger of a choking hazard. It has clearly been made more difficult in that product was in the distribution chain, possibly for some time, before they were aware …
Nov 06
Cocoa Powder – an ingredient with opportunities
Cocoa Powder – really good cocoa powder – is an ingredient which deserves greater consideration and use in confectionery than it possibly gets at the moment. It has a flavour of its own and comes in a range of colours and flavour intensities with great potential. Using cocoa powder within the product range presents another …