Calling all chocolate makers: Make sure you have enough premium and “better-for-you” chocolate on hand today for all those “Last-Minute Louies.”

At ISM in Cologne on Jan. 28, Barry Callebaut hosted a pre-publication launch event for "Hidden Persuaders in Cocoa and Chocolate: A Flavor Lexicon for Cocoa and Chocolate Sensory Professionals." As someone who has been interested in the topic professionally for nearly two decades, I was happy to accept the invitation to the launch.

It’s not every day you get a chance to visit Barry Callebaut’s Chicago Chocolate Academy — and when you do, you jump on it.

When I was first introduced to Oscar Kambly III, president of Trubschachen, Switzerland-based biscuit manufacturer Kambly many years ago — and no I don’t exactly recall when — the man, the company and its product line were like one.

January is quickly drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to look at a few trends that are expected to shape consumer behavior this year.

We are barely into the middle of January, and it’s already become clear that 2018 is going to be a whopper of a year for mergers and acquisitions. M&A’s, they call them.

Last week, Business Insider posted a story titled “Chocolate is on track to go extinct in 40 years.” Yikes. That’s enough to inspire fear in the hearts of chocolate lovers everywhere — and compel them to click on the link.

Colian Group's ongoing investments and targeted acquisitions had caught the eye of the European Candy Kettle Club — our Candy Industry Kettle Committee equivalent across the pond — who, in turn, nominated Jan Kolański, president of the Colian Group, for the coveted ECKC award in 2017.

Mint, which some of us have grown in our gardens, just doesn’t immediately come to mind when it comes to sustainability issues. And yet, it’s one of the critical ingredients in Mars Wrigley’s mint and gum products.