Rising concerns related to high sugar consumption, artificial ingredients and boredom with regular indulgence are driving consumers to move away from traditional confectionery products, thereby forcing the manufacturers to develop exciting and healthy products, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Dharma Teja, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, highlights the major innovation trends that are going to impact the consumption, marketing and sales of confectionery products in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in 2019.

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Indulge in new flavors: According to GlobalData 2018 Q4 Consumer Survey, 24% of APAC consumers are willing to experiment with new flavors of confectionery products. Accordingly, confectionery manufacturers are putting efforts to introduce new flavors. For instance, according to GlobalData’s report, ‘Top trends in Chocolate, Confectionery and Desserts – 2019’, Mars Inc. launched Skittels-Flower Fruit in China.

Less sugar: Due to widespread availability of information especially over Internet, consumers became more aware of what they are consuming and thus, avoiding excess sugar consumption. GlobalData 2017 Q4 Consumer Survey reveals that 43% of APAC consumers feel that healthy products are often associated with ‘Low in Sugar’ claim. Against this backdrop, Mondelez International Inc launched 30% less sugar variant of ‘Silk’ in India in June 2019.

Try out new look: APAC consumers are excited to try new and unique confectionery products. GlobalData 2018 Q4 Consumer Survey divulges that 24% of APAC consumers tend to buy a product if it is unique in style such as texture and packaging. In line with this, Taiwan Kaiser Foods launched Kaiser Boba Chocolate, which has a very unique style of chocolate presentation. It comes with gummy Boba inside a milk tea flavoring chocolate ball, which is uncommon in chocolate confectionery.

Clean label: APAC consumers are becoming more conscious regarding ingredient content while purchasing. As per GlobalData 2017 Q1 Consumer survey, 45% of APAC consumers perceive ‘Clean Label’ is often associated with ‘free from artificial ingredients’. The claims such as Gluten-free, Vegan, Dairy-free are acting as anchor themes to attract this particular target group. For instance, Fantte Chocolate launched Hazelnut and Pumpkin seed chocolate in India in 2018 with Gluten free and Diet friendly claims.