Trend 1: From clean to clear label
The upcoming Food Information to Consumers Regulation (FIC) in Europe is already leading to greater transparency in chocolate ingredient labels, say Cargill and Innova. “What we’re seeing now is more transparency in ingredient labeling. We’re now seeing consumers looking for more information on what’s in their product or sometimes what’s not in their product," said Lu Ann Williams, head of research at Innova Market Insights. She said that while no additives or preservatives and natural claims had begun to lose credibility, ingredient labels were starting to give a greater explanation on the origins of ingredients. Cargill's Brigitte Bayart said the trend has led to a greater emphasis on sustainably sourced ingredients such as RSPO palm oil. Bayrart and Williams also noted a shift from soy lecithin to sunflower lecithin. Almost 10% of chocolate confectionery products launched in Western Europe last year contained sunflower lecithin compared to under 1% in 2010, according to data from Innova. Photo Credit: Innova Market Insights.
Cargill – “For the brands in the market, ‘sustainably sourced’ such as RSPO-certifed plam is becoming more and more important.”
