Issue 4 2018
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32 ingredients<br />
Sticky issue: Delivering superior product<br />
stability in sugar confectionery<br />
Innovation remains a strong feature of the global confectionery industry. As demonstrated<br />
by high levels of new product development and increased product launches, manufacturers<br />
are attempting to maintain consumer interest by looking for innovative ways to diversify<br />
their offering. Indeed, over the past five years, the total number of new product launches in<br />
confectionery (jellies, gummies, hard candy and sugar confectionery only), has risen steadily<br />
from 5,839 in 2010 to 7,443 in 2014. Furthermore, in geographically fragmented markets, such<br />
as Western Europe and Asia, new product innovation is particularly pronounced, while growing<br />
markets such as Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe also continue to show a vast<br />
increase in product launches.<br />
As well as experimenting with<br />
new ingredients and flavours,<br />
confectioners are increasingly<br />
reducing sugar levels and<br />
removing artificial ingredients<br />
and additives to improve the<br />
perceived health and nutritional<br />
qualities of their confectionery<br />
products. Germany-based<br />
sugar confectioner, Haribo, for<br />
example, launched a menthol<br />
gummy sweetened with stevia<br />
plant, claiming that the product<br />
has 40% less calories when<br />
compared with traditional<br />
licorice. Meanwhile, Italian-<br />
Dutch confectioner, Perfetti Van<br />
Melle, launched a limited edition<br />
variety of its Mentos sweet<br />
containing ‘surprise flavours’, that<br />
consumers are unable to identify<br />
as sweet or sour, fresh or fruity,<br />
until they eat it.<br />
However, in such a competitive<br />
market, maintaining consumer<br />
loyalty is critical. Here, Ardie<br />
Lankveld, market manager –<br />
confectionery & food at Corbion,<br />
highlights some of the critical<br />
factors in developing successful<br />
new confectionery products<br />
and key considerations when<br />
formulating new recipes to meet<br />
the demands of ever-discerning<br />
consumers.<br />
The complete package<br />
Across the entire food and<br />
beverage industry, consumers are<br />
increasingly looking for new and<br />
extreme flavour experiences – and<br />
the confectionery market is no<br />
exception.<br />
As such, flavour innovation<br />
is a continuous trend in new<br />
product development, with many<br />
manufacturers using exotic fruits<br />
or spices, or unique sensory<br />
combinations to set their products<br />
apart, and capture and maintain<br />
consumer interest. Five fruit<br />
flavours showing impressive<br />
development in the European<br />
market include watermelon,<br />
blackcurrant, coconut, lime<br />
and cranberry, marking a<br />
significant shift away from more<br />
traditional flavour profiles such as<br />
strawberry, raspberry and vanilla.<br />
New products with flavoured<br />
layers for indulgence and intense<br />
flavour editions are also making<br />
their way onto supermarket<br />
shelves.<br />
The use of naturally-derived<br />
ingredients in food and beverage<br />
applications has also increased<br />
considerably in recent years,<br />
especially in EU, and to a<br />
lesser extent in the US, due to<br />
increasing consumer demand<br />
for clean-label, natural products<br />
and the avoidance of artificial<br />
additives. For a category in which<br />
artificial colours and flavours are<br />
prolific, this creates significant<br />
challenges for confectioners<br />
looking to create winning<br />
consumer appeal. In practice, it<br />
means they need to deliver named<br />
profiles that exhibit recognisable<br />
www.foodmagazine.eu.com issue four <strong>2018</strong>
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