In this video from nutraceutical trade show Vitafoods in Geneva earlier this month, Adrian Sagman, vice president of international sales and marketing for Israeli firm Carmit Candy, said that the niche fortified confectionery market craved a large multinational.
Could it be Nestlé?
“We’d be hoping one of the big players will be coming into the market soon – that could be very exciting.”
“…It would be really exciting if Nestlé took that plunge…We’ve seen what they’ve done with other areas like with Skinny Cow.”
Carmit would welcome a big player as private labels were likely to duplicate products from large companies, creating more business for Carmit.
Going global
But Sagman said that the market was still growing in absence of a large player.
“There’s a lot of interest. People are looking to try and give healthier options and to fortify products. Chocolate with all its latest health connotations is really getting some good buzz.”
He added that Europe and North America the strongest regions for functional confectionery with growing interest from Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe and even India. “It’s really going global,” he said.
According to the Carmit man, protein was the standout ingredient for fortified confectionery, but the functional market suffered from differing regulations across geographies.