EU: Downturn "hits chocolate, cocoa sales" - cocoa body.

Byline: just-food.com

The economic slump has caused a "significant" fall in demand for cocoa in Europe, where declining chocolate sales have hit confectioners, the German Cocoa Trade Association has claimed.

A spokesperson for the association told just-food: "We have seen declining consumer demand feed through to falling cocoa demand as chocolate producers require less cocoa. This has led to a mounting cocoa surplus."

London cocoa futures have risen sharply in recent months, with concerns over insufficient supply driving up the price. However, the German Cocoa Trade Association indicated that falling demand is, in fact, creating stockpiles.

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