01.01.13
Although health isn’t normally a key driver in confectionery purchasing and consumption, the rising level of interest in naturalness as a whole has been making a growing impression in the confectionery sector and driving the move to “clean labeling” by the industry. Nearly 9.5% of all confectionery launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in the 12 months to the end of September 2012 used either natural or additive-/preservative-free claims, or both. This made it the most popular health claim overall, ahead of sugar-free/low-sugar/no-added-sugar, featured on about 9% of introductions. Levels of interest in natural and additive-/preservative-free claims have been much higher in the more developed markets, particularly the U.S. and Western Europe, where they accounted for 16% and 15% of total confectionery introductions, respectively. Sugar confectionery and chocolate both featured a similar number of launches using natural and additive- or preservative-free claims, but their influence was far more significant for sugar confectionery, as they accounted for more than 15% of total launches, compared with 9% for chocolate.
A recent development that could also help in the drive for clean-label confectionery has been the growing use of the natural sweetener stevia, which gained approval in Canada in 2012 and the EU in 2011, following 2008 approvals in the U.S. and Australasia. Lu Ann Williams, research manager at Innova Market Insights, confirmed that interest in naturalness, all-natural ingredients and the elimination of artificial additives has continued to be an area of considerable interest in the food and drinks market. “Looking at levels of new product activity,” she reported, “this trend seems set to continue, not only in the introduction of new clean-label lines, but perhaps more significantly in the reformulation of existing market-leading brands to meet clean-label criteria.”
Innova also recently noted that the global number of new foods and beverages containing resveratrol has been rising consistently between 2000 and 2010, with particularly strong activity in 2009 and 2010. This was particularly true in the U.S., where interest was boosted by introduction of a number of branded resveratrol ingredient blends. While the actual number of launches featuring resveratrol recorded globally fell back in 2011 and appeared relatively static in 2012, the share taken by supplements has also fallen, from about 90% in 2009 to 80% in 2012.
Supplement launches with resveratrol have continued and become more widespread and sophisticated, often including other ingredients and targeting different consumer groups and health requirements. Activity in non-supplement lines tended, at least initially, to focus on beverages, confectionery and snacks, using the natural presence of resveratrol in key ingredients such as grape skins, cocoa powder and peanuts, respectively. As a result, early launches included wine and chocolate, both marketed on their high resveratrol contents. The U.S. beverages market has probably seen the most activity in terms of food and beverage introductions highlighting resveratrol content.
A recent development that could also help in the drive for clean-label confectionery has been the growing use of the natural sweetener stevia, which gained approval in Canada in 2012 and the EU in 2011, following 2008 approvals in the U.S. and Australasia. Lu Ann Williams, research manager at Innova Market Insights, confirmed that interest in naturalness, all-natural ingredients and the elimination of artificial additives has continued to be an area of considerable interest in the food and drinks market. “Looking at levels of new product activity,” she reported, “this trend seems set to continue, not only in the introduction of new clean-label lines, but perhaps more significantly in the reformulation of existing market-leading brands to meet clean-label criteria.”
Innova also recently noted that the global number of new foods and beverages containing resveratrol has been rising consistently between 2000 and 2010, with particularly strong activity in 2009 and 2010. This was particularly true in the U.S., where interest was boosted by introduction of a number of branded resveratrol ingredient blends. While the actual number of launches featuring resveratrol recorded globally fell back in 2011 and appeared relatively static in 2012, the share taken by supplements has also fallen, from about 90% in 2009 to 80% in 2012.
Supplement launches with resveratrol have continued and become more widespread and sophisticated, often including other ingredients and targeting different consumer groups and health requirements. Activity in non-supplement lines tended, at least initially, to focus on beverages, confectionery and snacks, using the natural presence of resveratrol in key ingredients such as grape skins, cocoa powder and peanuts, respectively. As a result, early launches included wine and chocolate, both marketed on their high resveratrol contents. The U.S. beverages market has probably seen the most activity in terms of food and beverage introductions highlighting resveratrol content.
