What’s hot in confectionery? New product development from Cadbury to Smart Sweets

Keeping up to date with the latest innovations and industry initiatives is essential for staying ahead in the fast-paced world of confectionery manufacturing.

Here, in our fortnightly NPD series, we provide you with an extensive look at the sector’s current trends and strategic initiatives shaping the confectionery landscape. Whether you want to innovate, improve product offerings, or grasp emerging market demands, here you’ll find the latest insights and information necessary to launch, grow and scale in this dynamic industry.

Smart Sweets launches 5 new SKUs and releases better-for-you alternatives​

Gummy creator Smart Sweets has released five new products​ and launched a new and improved formula for its better-for-you candies. Designed as healthy alternative sweets for various eating occasions, Smart Sweets has launched its new five SKUs in trending flavours.

The US and online retailer has switched the sweetener, allulouse, out with a vegetable carbohydrate, IMO (Isomalt oligosaccharide) to provide sweetness and to act as a bulking agent.

Increasing its sensory profile, Smart Sweets has added this new base formula to its five new flavour products: tropical sours, caramels, berry bunnies, Barbie pink lemonade dream collaboration and tropical eggs for Easter.

Smart Sweets has also reformulated several of its existing products to create a healthier alternative to its traditional gummies. The brand’s Sweet Fish, Sour Melon Bites, Peach Rings and Sour Blast Buddies are entering the US market with Smart Sweets’ new formulation.

Cadbury gives its classic Dairy Milk a contemporary velvet upgrade​

Global chocolate giant, Cadbury, has announced its new product, Cadbury Dairy Milk Velvet, geared to give consumers a brand new chocolate texture experience.

In its latest product, Cadbury has formulated its velvet range with 40% more cocoa and 25% more milk than regular milk chocolate. In adding these ingredients to its new velvet range, the chocolatier hopes to bring a smoother, more chocolatey, milk chocolate recipe to its chocolate-loving customers.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Velvet comes in two flavours, Velvet milk chocolate and Velvet hazelnut and has a new rounded shape. Cadbury Dairy Milk Velvet will be available at major retailers in Australia from 29th July for AUS $6.

Monty Bojangles unveils new chocolate bar varieties ​

British confectionery brand Monty Bojangles has expanded its block chocolate range​ by adding two new flavours to the popular bar category. Milk Perfectly Creamy and Milk Toasty Popcorn are now on physical and digital shelves, joining its existing range, which comprises milk millionaire caramel, milk triple nut praline, dark citrus passion, and dark cocoa nib crunch flavours.

Milk perfectly creamy is made with a velvety smooth and creamy milk chocolate using the brand’s Bean-To-Bar recipe and RainForest Alliance certified chocolate, in a 100% recyclable wrapper.

Monty Bojangles’ new flavour launches come after the brand won the celebrated title of Champion in the Chocolate Bar category at The Grocer New Product and Packaging Awards​.

Appealing to personalisation and shareability trends, Monty Bojangles’ bars contain squares with embossed characters that allow consumers to create their own secret messages. The brand encourages consumers to share these on social media, with the hashtag of #montymessages.

Launched over June and July across in-store retailers, the new Monty Bojangles bars are priced at £3.

Mars launches new Twix flavour​

The multinational chocolate brand has released its new Twix flavour variety. The Mars’ brand has unveiled its Twix Wafer Rolls in the Australian market. Combining chocolate and wafers, Mars’ latest roll-out (pun intended!) brings together a crunchy and creamy texture.

Launched for a limited-time only, the new Twix Wafer Rolls will come in two crispy wafer rolls housed in a milk chocolate and well-known Twix flavour. The new product has been designed with a lighter, better-for-you formulation, containing 114 calories per serve.

A first for the brand as it enters the Australian market, Twix Wafer Rolls also marks the first innovation from the brand in 2024. The brand’s creation follows the launch of the Snickers Brownie, M&M's Cookie Dough flavour and Skittles Cloudz products. The new Twix Wafer Rolls, priced at AUS $2.20 per bar, will be available at retailers throughout Australia in July.

Fatso launches new Sweet Tart flavour​

The Luker Chocolate-owned brand, which uses dark chocolate from Colombia, has released its latest Sweet Tart variety. Combining cherries and almonds on shortbread, Fatso’s newest flavour is made with single-origin, Fino de Aroma certified cacao sourced at Luker Chocolate in Colombia.

The brand’s new Sweet Tart flavour joins its existing Morn’n Glory, Nan’s Stash, Home Run, Love Bundle, King’s Ransom and World’s Greatest flavours.

The bar, which comes in 150g and 40g bars, is housed in 100% compostable packaging and is 100% recyclable. The premium chocolate brand’s newest Sweet Tart product is priced at £6.75 for its 150g bar and £3.25 for its 40g bar.

Sweet Startup Spotlight​

CLOVR launches candy with cannabis​

Confectionery brand CLOVR based in Missouri, US, has released its latest CLOVR Candy cannabis product range. The collection offers various THC-infused hard candies, suckers, mints and tarts. Appealing to consumers looking for better-for-you sweet alternatives, CLOVR also offers sugar-free suckers.

CLOVR aims to offer consumers a discreet and tasty way to consume cannabis in the form of edibles. The brand hopes its products will appeal to both experienced consumers and newbies who are looking to try cannabis in confectionery and who want a practical substitute for conventional consumption methods.