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Quarterly Publication of European Bean Usage
In their continuously expanding coverage, the ECA reporting of European Cocoa Usage now include 27 companies, all reporting their total bean usage in the European Union-15 and Switzerland.
ECA initiated these statistics mid 2000, retroactive to the first quarter 1999. The intent was to provide more representative data than the national figures published in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands, the latter discontinued when the Nederlandse Cacao Vereniging (NCV) was dissolved.
For the first year, ECA grinding members were the sole participants, now representing around 75% of total European grindings. With the July 2002 figures, the major chocolate manufacturers still grinding cocoa beans joined in, ECA retroactively reporting an expanded coverage.
In January 2003, the German BDSI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Suszwarenindustrie), together with the Danish Alliance of Danish Chocolate and Confectionery Industries (both members of CAOBISCO) joined the reporting, bringing the number of companies reporting to 22 and the total coverage to close to 95% of the total Western Europe cocoa grindings. In January 2004, the German company EUROMAR joined the reporting through BDSI; the following July, HAMESTER stopped reporting, for reasons obvious to those close to the industry.
Starting in October 2004, the figures of former French group OCG, acquired by CARGILL, were integrated into the latter's corporate reporting, as was later their KRUGER acquisition in Germany. Concomitantly, thanks to the Italian A.I.D.I (Associazione Industrie Dolciarie Italiane) , 5 new companies joined the reporting. Also in October 2004, MASTERFOODS left the reporting after discontinuing grinding cocoa end Q3 2004. From January 2005 onwards, grinding data at NESTLE cocoa processing plants in York and Hamburg, sold to CARGILL on October 1 2004, switched from the former to the latter corporate reportee, without effect on total figures. ARMAJARO (ex-HAMESTER Hamburg operations) started grindings in Q2 2005, and is henceforth included in our reporting as from July 2005 onwards.
January 2007 saw a fourth expansion, with the inclusion of 1) two new reporting groups, both headquartered in Spain: NATRA, comprising NATRA CACAO and NATRACEUTICAL, and NEDERLAND, including MOLNER & LLACUNA and TESTA STABILIMENTO FARMACEUTICO (Italy). And 2) the reporting of both bean grindings as well as now the bean tonnage used in the expeller process, excluding any cake or other bean derivatives.
The ECA grinders are thus the original participants. ECA members now participating are: ADM COCOA, ARMAJARO, BARRY-CALLEBAUT, ECOM-DUTCH COCOA and GERKENS CACAO (CARGILL).
Other bean processors (grinders and/or expellers) also participating are CADBURY-SCHWEPPES, CARLETTI, CIOCCOLATO PEYRANO, EUROMAR, FERRERO, FUCHS & HOFFMANN, HACHEZ, HERZA, ICAM, KESSKO, KRAFT FOODS (ALTRIA), LINDT (Italy), LUDWIG, MAJANI, NATRA, NEDERLAND, NESTLE, SCHOKINAG, SCHWARTAUER WERKE (KVB), STORCK, WEINRICH and TOMS.
All companies report their total (group) bean usage in the original European Union-15 and in Switzerland. The overall coverage is now about 97 %. At this stage, approximately 30,500 tons p.a. are still missing from the report, per the following estimates: 17,000 tons for Switzerland, 6,500tons for Austria, 3,000 tons for France, 2,000 tons each for Italy and Spain.
Latest statistics: July 2008 [Word] [pdf]
In January 2004, ECA started publishing Eastern European Grind Statistics. At this stage, 3 companies are reporting. The reporting will progressively be extended to the various grinders outside the E.U.-15, focusing on the ten new E.U. countries but also on other countries, like Turkey, where the grinding volume is important. These 'new' statistics are reported separately from the existing ones. They are not published on our website but are available to participating companies only.
The Western and Eastern European Grind Statistics are confidentially compiled by SSZ, the 'Studiecentrum Snacks en Zoetwaren', located in Zeist , the Netherlands.
