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Confectionery industry forecast: Healthy products are a top trend |
07.03.2009
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WASHINGTON-Experimenting with flavors, flexibility and variety, confectionery makers are thinking outside the bar to provide consumers with chocolate and candy innovation that will drive consumer purchasing over the next five years, according to the National Confectioners Association's Confectionery Industry Trend Report 2009.
The biggest trend, according to the 40 industry experts included in the study, is a focus on healthy sweet treats.
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According to the study, there is a growing demand for health benefits and better-for-you ingredients. Consumers are embracing portion-control sized treats and the potential heart-health benefits of higher cacao content in chocolate. As consumers continue to lead healthy lifestyles, health benefits will heavily influence manufacturers to focus on developing good-for-you confections, especially new types of enhanced chocolate treats.
Beyond being health conscious, consumers want to be earth-friendly as well. More than half of the experts said that eco-friendly manufacturing efforts, like recyclable packaging, will influence product development and consumer purchasing.
Experts expect chocolate to emerge as one of the largest growth drivers for the industry.
"Chocolate is a classic indulgence," said Susan Smith, senior vice president of NCA's Chocolate Council, in a prepared statement. "From its potential health benefits to its organic roots and inclusion as an ingredient in many types of sweet and savory foods, we have only begun to experience the versatility of chocolate."
As the American palette matures, more innovative products will be popular. Experts said that limited editions -which allow confectionery makers the freedom to experiment with flavors in a variety of ways -will continue to prevail. Limited-time product extension will be big, experts think, such as introducing dark chocolate versions of classic milk chocolate candies.
International spices and ethnic flavors will also have a large influence on new U.S. products and flavor development overall, according to the report. While Asian and Latin flavors will serve as the biggest influences on U.S. confectionery product launches, insiders point to Europe as the birthplace for new confectionery trends.
As for America's global influence, one in three industry experts said that U.S. trends will have the greatest impact on the dark chocolate market. Twenty percent said that the U.S. market for confections will influence product pricing and economic issues overseas.
For more information on emerging trends visit www.candyusa.org.
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