Richard Cope, director of insight trends at market analysts Mintel, spoke to ConfectioneryNews.com as Mintel began an initiative offering a free consultation session for manufacturers (details below).
Fear of the ‘super-nanny state’
Asked what the future holds for the confectionery industry, Cope said: “The fear is that the ‘super-nanny’ state is coming to look for them more and more.”
He said there was a sense that lawyers and governments were coming after large companies, and although few regulatory measures have been set so far more could be on the horizon as confectionery becomes “the new tobacco”.
The US state of Colorado currently taxes candy and soft drinks at 3%, while so called “fat taxes”, affecting confectionery were also implemented in Denmark, Finland and Hungary last year.
Earlier his year, an Illinois governor also proposed eliminating a state sales tax exemption on candy and soda.
The Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries (CAOBISCO), whose members include Mars and Kraft Foods, recently slammed food taxes in its 2011 annual report released in July, calling them damaging to the EU market.
Healthy future
“There is potential for confectionery to have a healthier angle,” said Cope.
He identified two inventive ways for manufacturers to refresh their offerings: functional gums and flavour-changing confections.
Gum perfume and energy
Ingredients firm Fortitech showcased an energy chewing gum at VitaFoods 2012 in May that is fortified with taurine, guarana and B-vitamins.
Cope said that such gums could appeal to over 50’s market as well as younger consumers.
He also said that gum carried potential as a perfume product.
French firm Swallowable Parfum are set to introduce cosmetic capsules that excrete fragrance modules through the skin during perspiration leaving tiny droplets that emit an odour.
According to Cope, the same principle could be applied to gum.
Flavour-changing confections
He added that confectioners could boost the appeal of candy by introducing products that changed flavour during the course of consumption.
He said that radical flavours such savoury tastes could be mixed-in with conventional sweets flavours to add entertainment to the eating experience.
“Particularly the young end of the market is always ready to try radical things.”
London-based jelly moulds firm Bompas & Parr are one such company introducing radical flavors to food products, which were presented at an event in March called ‘A Culinary Odyssey’.
Cope also highlighted Miracle Change Lozenges, medicinal sweets that feature 11 different flavour changes.
Mintel sessions
Mintel has partnered with social media networking site Get Lunched to offer a free sector-specific consultancy session in London.
Manufacturers can submit a request for a free meeting with analysts on the social network .
Meetings are available with analyst Richard Cope on future business trends and Head of Food and Drink Research Kiti Soininen.
