News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology 30-Apr-2021 Last updated on 30-Apr-2021 at 14:56 GMT has more than one string to its bow: the Belgian business makes and sells Fairtrade-certified bars easter eggs and bonbons under its own Althaea brand and produces private label chocolate products for customers Tony’s Chocolonely has been one of its clients since the challenger brand first launched in 2005 Tony’s is taking control of the business in an M&A move that gives the rapidly-growing company its own factory While Tony’s has country offices outside of the Netherlands the Althaea-De Laet manufacturing site will be Tony’s first made up of the De Laet family and its management team will stay on at the business for the next two years Tony’s has plans to build a factory to the north of Amsterdam in Zaandam, which is expected to open within the next three to four years Tony’s told FoodNavigator the Belgian facility is not acting as a stop-gap “We think operating our own factory to mould chocolate bars is a strategic milestone to achieve our mission: making 100% slave-free the norm in chocolate,” a spokesperson told FoodNavigator The spokesperson continued: “Being the owner of Althaea-De Laet Int will help us to scale up our business and innovate faster and with more flexibility on production level.” Tony’s to respect private label obligations and other products such as its Easter Eggs “Nothing will change for Tony’s own chocolate,” stressed the spokesperson adding that it will continue to work with its current suppliers Concerning Althaea-De Laet’s private label arm of the business Tony’s said it will respect existing arrangements Is a fully operational factory that has always produced chocolate for multiple partners and of course we’ll respect the existing business relationships and contractual obligations,” we were told “We will meet with each of the other customers and investigate possibilities and needs. Surely, we will also start having conversations with the other chocolate makers to see how they can join Tony’s Open Chain to make 100% slave-free chocolate the norm.” ‘Most importantly’, the spokesperson reiterated, ‘nothing will change’ for Tony’s own chocolate bars. “We already have a segregated supply chain in place, including our own Tony’s chocolate recipes in separate tanks. And we’ll keep it that way to ensure that our beans are 100% traceable!” Tony’s launches ‘iconic’ look-alikes in ethical cocoa campaign: ‘Your favourite chocolate can be made better’26-Jan-2021By Flora SoutheyThe challenger brand says it has struggled to roll out its limited-edition bars in the UK, claiming chocolate manufacturers pressured Sainsbury’s to delist the look-alikes. NPD Trend Tracker: From oat drink delivery to personalised Tony’s Chocolonely08-Dec-2020By Flora SoutheyIn this week’s NPD Trend Tracker, we cover new chilled plant-based snacks, an oat drink delivery service (in the traditional glass pint bottles!) and Tony’s Chocolonely’s personalised wrapper service. Recent success for Welsh food and drink as it targets international marketsPaid for and content provided by Welsh Government Mastering mouthfeel: The importance of mouthfeel in making brands thrivePaid for and in partnership with Tate & Lyle Rethinking eggs for a resilient food future a ‘matter of necessity’Paid for and content provided by CSM Group (CSM Ingredients & HIFOOD) Antwerp-based savings bank Argenta has fallen victim to what is believed to be Belgium’s first jackpotting attacks. Also known as a logical attack, jackpotting is a sophisticated crime in which cyber-criminals install malicious software and/or hardware on an ATM that forces the machine to spew out all of its cash on demand. The attack earned its name from the way in which it causes an ATM to mimic the action of a one-armed bandit slot machine when a player strikes it lucky. the malicious actor must gain control of the ATM by either making a physical connection by USB or hacking into it online using specialized malware. Argenta closed down 143 cash machines over the weekend after being hit by two jackpotting attacks attacking machines in Roeslare on Friday and in Ingelmunster on Saturday. The attacks follow in the wake of last month’s attempt by cyber-thieves to gain control over ATMs in Ranst and Borsbeek. the thieves targeted some of the most antiquated machines in the bank’s network had been scheduled to be replaced when they were attacked. The bank has not confirmed how much money was stolen in the first wave of attacks or even whether the attackers were successful in their attempts to force the ATMs to surrender their cash An investigation into the Argenta attacks has been launched by Belgium’s federal police who are working under the assumption that the same criminal gang masterminded the June and July attacks. “We note that despite the upgrades that have been carried out this type of device remains in the cross-hairs of criminals,” said Argenta’s Christine Vermylen “That is why we have decided to shut down 143 devices of this type now pending the installation of new devices later this year We are looking into whether that operation can be speeded up.” Jackpotting has been around in Europe and Asia for several years and made its way to the US in 2018. According to The Brussels Times the cybersecurity industry believes the attacks on Argenta to be the first cases of jackpotting in Belgium.