Alyse Thompson-Richards

Label Insight says 73 percent of 2,021 consumers surveyed would pay a premium for products that offer complete transparency in a variety of areas, including certifications, ingredients lists, nutritional breakdowns, allergens lists, and information on how products are sourced, produced and handled.

Molly Cook, who also took home the People’s Choice Award, competed against 19 other chocolatiers, including Norman Love Confections Chef Chris Botterman.

Philip E. Heide, ceo and president of Henry Heide, Inc., manufacturer of Jujubes and Jujyfruits, passed away Tuesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, N.Y. after a long battle with melanoma. He was 75.

Tastykakes puts a fall spin on the classic Kandy Kakes.

As the premium chocolate division of Mars, Inc., Ethel M emphasizes its tradition of creating handmade and preservative-free confections. However, over the last two years the brand has looked for ways to “reposition itself” and make new connections, Young says.

A Nestlé official says a $31-million expansion to its Quality Assurance Center in Dublin, Ohio, will help the company continue to anticipate and exceed food quality and safety standards.

Swiss chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has joined forces with the International Finance Corp. (IFC) and IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, for a $9-million, risk-sharing program that will help small cocoa farmers in Cote d’Ivoire lay the foundation for a strong financial future.

I was working as a staff writer at a newspaper in Western Illinois when I learned earlier this summer that former Managing Editor Crystal Lindell was moving to a new position at Food Engineering. I jumped at the chance to once more join the Candy Industry team - for a variety of reasons.