News briefs: Chewing gum, cocoa and Nestle
are imminent in the UK, and cocoa price jumped up the last two
weeks of September.
Chewing gum reduces appetite, says study People who chew gum before eating a snack find that their hunger pangs are diminished, and so consume fewer calories, according to a new study conducted by the Wrigley Science Institute. Researchers examining the role of chewing gum on appetite control observed how 60 participants, aged 18 to 54, ate an afternoon snack. Some were given chewing gum prior to eating the salty or sweet treat, and some were not. According to researcher Marion Hetherington, chewing gum reduced the snack calorie intake by about 25 calories. Participants that ate sweet snack consumed 39 fewer calories, while salty snack eaters ate around 11 fewer calories. Hunger was suppressed even further if participants chewed gum at one, two and three hour intervals after lunch, she said. "This study demonstrates the benefits of chewing gum and highlights the potential role of chewing gum in appetite control and weight management," she claimed. Nestle UK jobs move to Europe this year Nestle Rowntree confirmed yesterday that plans to move UK Smarties production from York to Hamberg, Germany, will go ahead later this year. The company said that the move is part of a programme to ensure that the York factory runs smoothly in the future. "This is part of the company's planned changes to the York factory, announced in September 2006, which includes a £20m (€29m) investment to expand the site's state of the art facilities and safeguard long-term employment for over 1,800 employees," the company said in a statement. Reuters reported yesterday that about 650 jobs will be lost in the UK, however Nestle told ConfectioneryNews.com that the job losses "are not specific to the Smarties brand." Nestle Rowntree also said last year that some outdated manufacturing facilities in the UK will close, and that some products will now be manufactured in other sites in Europe. September cocoa prices up $36 (€25) The daily price for cocoa averaged $1,938 (€1,363) in September, compared to an average $1,902 (€1,338) the month before, according to the International Cocoa Organisation's (ICCO) monthly review. The ICCO attributed the increase to heavy region cocoa growing regions in West Africa, as well as concerns over the development of the fungal black pod disease. While prices were low during the first two weeks of the month, the ICCO said, after a sharp decline in August, but bounced back in mid-September to hit a high of $2,002 (€1,408) on the New York market. Unless the black pod disease takes hold of several crops, prices are likely to fall in the near future, the ICCO said, as "the new cocoa campaign in Cote D'Ivore is showing a strong start and is putting downward pressure on cocoa prices."
