Putting sugar reduction on front-of-pack labels
Sugar reduction is possible in confectionery, UK charity Action on Sugar confirms, with efforts to lower sugar prompting transparent ingredient labelling in 2025.
Ingredients
Clarity, quality and visibility lead natural and clean confectionery in 2025
It’s a trend that’s not going anywhere, but 2025 looks set to bring fundamental functionality to confectionery.
What drives the US success of this iconic Scottish shortbread brand?
Sir Jim Walker CBE has been honoured with the 2024 Wallace Award by the American Scottish Foundation, celebrating the brand’s contribution to transatlantic relations. How has Walker’s Shortbread managed to thrive in one of the world’s most competitive...
Pursuing critical sustainable food production at COP16
How one Colombian chocolate ingredient company is backing purpose-driven chocolate and conversations at the 2024 United Nations event.
How natural sweeteners are shaking up the sugar game
As consumers grow more health-conscious, the demand for natural alternatives to sugar is on the rise. But can these sweeteners deliver the taste and texture consumers crave without compromise?
Franuí expands into the UK market with chocolate-covered raspberry bites
Franuí is bringing its handcrafted, sustainable treats to London, targeting health-conscious consumers with premium ingredients.
Beauty meets confectionery: A growing trend in functional wellness
Discover how beauty-enhancing ingredients like collagen and biotin are changing the confectionery industry with delicious, functional treats.
Do GLP-1s signal a worrying time for confectioners?
Formulating to support consumers and the sector.
Is all chocolate a UPF?
Controversy around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) continues to grow, especially with mounting scientific research as well as media attention scrutinizing the food group.
Has the world’s first 'super candy' arrived?
Protein candy aims to revolutionize confectionery with high-protein treats
AI - like having a crystal ball for flavour trends
Here’s what the future of confectionery flavours has in store...
Freeze-dried sweets boosted by TikTok as new confectionery craze
Bursting onto our shelves and socials with eclectic flavours and novel textures, freeze-dried candies are set to be the coolest confectionery trend of 2024.
Anthon Berg broadens appeal to win over Gen Z market
The 140-year-old chocolatier is shaking up its branding and product lineup to capture the attention of Gen Z consumers, refreshing its reputation as a treat for grandparents.
Why pistachio is the must-have flavour of 2024
Make way marzipan and peanut butter. Pistachios are the green powerhouse perking up premium confectionery sales. Here’s what brands need to know about going green
How are manufacturers making sugar reduction tech pay?
Sugar reduction has become a necessary part of food and beverage manufacture, but what technology is being used and how does it affect sales?
Study shows how to make confectionery finishes functional
Adding fibre while lowering sugar is possible by tweaking confectionery glazes a new study finds. Here’s all you need to know
Unpacking sweet proteins
Sweet proteins can provide benefits that other sweeteners can’t, and without some of the drawbacks they provide. But how can they be produced?
How manufacturers can cure chocolate’s heat resistance
A new study suggests four top tips for chocolate creators
How are prebiotics and probiotics pushing functionality forward?
And what challenges do manufacturers need to overcome to get there?
Are sweeteners good or bad for the planet?
Research suggests some could be more harmful to the environment than others.
Sugar reduction
Are sweeteners leaving a sour taste with consumers?
Here’s how manufacturers can navigate the changing perception of sugar-reducing ingredients among confectionery shoppers
Surging demand for specialty fats: Sustainable alternatives to cocoa butter and palm oil
With cocoa butter and palm oil production dogged by rising costs and environmental concerns, alternative fats and oils are filling the void. Here’s what manufacturers need to know
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Smart Sweets unveils new formula across portfolio at Sweets & Snacks
Better-for-you gummy maker, Smart Sweets, launched its new and improved formula across its portfolio, including five new SKUs, catering to consumers seeking healthier candy for nearly any type of occasion, Katrina Hahn, Smart Sweets’ co-CEO, told...
Consumers go nuts for protein-packed product innovation
With Reese’s collaborating with One to launch a high protein iteration of the iconic peanut butter cup, should other manufacturers be looking at this functional ingredient too?
Monk fruit ingredient no longer a novel food in UK, what about EU?
In sweet news for food manufacturers, monk fruit decoctions are no longer classified a novel food in the eyes of the UK Food Standards Agency. What does this news mean for the EU?
How Nestlé is making its cocoa more traceable
Nestlé is striving to make its cocoa traceable right back to the farm. Can the multinational give consumers confidence they’re eating sustainable cocoa?
‘Keto-Fructose’ sweetener developed for consumers following ketogenic diet
With its low-calorie and low-carb profile, a new sweetener developed in the Netherlands is targeting a very particular segment of consumers.
OFI unveils first company-wide emissions targets: ‘It’s a stretch, but achievable’
For the first time, OFI is setting a company-wide sustainability strategy, including Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions targets to achieve by 2030.
How commodity exchanges influence food prices, and why farmers don’t always benefit from price hikes
Commodity exchanges influence prices of key foods and ingredients on all levels of the supply chain. But how close is the link between the commodity exchange, and the commodity itself?
From chewy to sweet: how consumers’ location shapes their gummy preferences
There’s no one-size-fits-all all formulation for the European market when it comes to gummies, finds a new study. Here’s how consumers choose their chews
Swicy flavours set to be the hottest trend in confectionery in 2024
Not adding horseradish, peppercorns or chillis to your confectionery yet? Here’s why you should
Can cultivated cocoa solve the chocolate crisis? ‘It’s like cultivating meat, but simpler’
With climate change threatening the future supply of cocoa, could cellular agriculture offer a solution? Israeli start-up Kokomodo thinks it can, and is emerging from stealth mode to prove it.
Sweet and healthy? Discover the top five functional foods in confectionery
Adding probiotics, protein and fibre and removing sugar and animal ingredients mean 2024 is set to be the year of better-for-you confectionery. Here are the functional features disrupting the industry
Has the plant-based trend peaked?
The plant-based trend has been on the up and up in recent years. But has it finally peaked and, if yes, can the plant-based industry do anything to prevent a decline?
Is high inflation squeezing new ingredient opportunities into sugar and confectionery?
As the UK’s latest inflation levels show sugar and confectionery prices remain high—a fate mirrored in Europe—F&B makers are turning to other ingredients to remain competitive at the checkouts.
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Confectionery brands are blending pink lemonade into the latest launches
As consumers seek layered flavors that enhance their snacking experience, the sweet and tart notes of pink lemonade served as a popular confectionery trend during the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Sustainable chewing gum brand Milliways pops the growth bubble
With claims to be the UK’s biggest plastic-free, plant-based chewing gum brand, Milliways outpaced the growth of the chewing gum category by 43 times, according to new IRI data after significant investment in product innovation and a public awareness...
Eco-friendly food colouring: How one company is cutting carbon
The food industry is coming under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and find more sustainable ways to operate. Food colouring manufacturer Exberry tells us how it's cutting carbon intensity, and improving water efficiency, for greener...
Can the whole cocoa pod be utilised when making chocolate?
By developing a chocolate bar using not only the cocoa bean but the pulp and endocarp as well, a new study aims to create a more sustainable form of chocolate.
Six start-ups rethinking cocoa for alt choc innovation
Amid soaring prices and deforestation regulations, chocolate manufacturers may well be tempted to turn their back on cocoa. What alternatives are on offer?
Can faba beans’ bitterness become sweet success for a cocoa alternative?
With cocoa prices at record highs and its sustainability under scrutiny, we explore an alternative that embraces faba beans’ flavour failure.
Should brands look to India for novel flavour inspiration?
With a thriving start-up scene and a youthful consumer base hungry for candy innovation, India is a crucible of confectionery creativity. Here’s what you need to know
Sweets & Snacks Expo 2024
Blommer Chocolate Company and Incredo target Canada with less sugar options
Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America, has announced it is extending its partnership with sugar reduction company Incredo.
Special edition: plant-based confectionery
Top 11 vegan chocolate trends
New research into the vegan chocolate market reveals that the sector is poised to gain even wider popularity with conscious consumers thanks to major brands embracing the plant-based wave.
Special edition: Plant-based confectionery
Tantalizing textures: the new frontiers of plant-based gummies
Across Europe, there is a palpable enthusiasm for plant-based gummies, reflecting a growing consumer interest in perceived health-promoting and more sustainable products; we speak to Quentin Schotte, Convenience and Snacking Manager for Cargill Food...
Special edition: Plant-based confectionery
Sweet Revolution: Embracing diversity with plant-based confectionery
From creamy chocolates to chewy candies, plant-based options are paving the way for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to snacking that caters to the diverse tastes and preferences of consumers worldwide. We look at some of the key trends.
Special edition: Plant-based confectionery
Lindt launches plant-based version of Lindor truffles in the US
Swiss luxury chocolate maker Lindt has launched a plant-based version of its famous Lindor truffles for all non-dairy chocolate lovers.
Special edition: Plant-based confectionery
Moo Free launches new traceability tool, The Hub
Dairy-free chocolate maker Moo Free is strengthening its sustainability credentials with the launch of The Hub, a business tool offering the manufacturer complete traceability across its supply chain.
Innovation
TopGum unveils new iron-rich gummies at Vitafoods 2024
Gummy supplement manufacturer TopGum Industries has announced it is launching a new clean-label IronGum formula with no metallic aftertaste or added sugar.
Which plant-based alternatives are healthier than animal products?
Are plant-based meat and dairy substitutes healthier? Well, yes. And no. It depends. A new study investigates which substitutes do best, and worst, when pitted against animal products.