Sugar-free confectionery trend not limited to gum, says Roquette

In a recent online webinar the French ingredients firm delved into market trends and opportunities in sugar-free confectionery and plugged its sugar substitute ingredient Lucasin HBC.

Globally the reduced-sugar packaged food and beverage market is set to surge at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.8% for 2010-2015, according to Euromonitor data.

Sugar-free confectionery is also surging but there are stark differences in product development between sectors. Euromonitor data shows that in Europe 2011, 93% of chewing gums and 58% of medicated confectionery were sugar-free. This compares to 35% for mints and 19% for boiled sweets.

“The sugar-free trend is not restricted to chewing gum and medicated confectionery and it is gaining momentum,”​ Valérie Barfoot, market development manager specialized in confectionery solutions at Roquette, said in the webinar.

Barfoot flagged clear opportunities in developing the sugar-free boiled sweets sector considering current market levels.

Sugar-free boiled sweets​

The boiled sweets market was pegged at €2.9bn for 2011, according to Euromonitor.

While sugar-free boiled sweets are available across Europe, Barfoot noted there are varying consumption levels with Spain topping the chart for 2011 followed by Italy and Norway.

“Typically the sugar-free confectionery market is more developed in countries like Spain and Italy. These countries are more advanced in terms of products they have on the shelf,”​ she said.

Roquette pushed Lycasin HBC as a favorable solution to developing sugar-free boiled sweets.

“It can bring value to your brand,”​ Barfoot said.

It enables tooth-friendly, reduced calorie products with a lower glycemic index (GI), the firm said. The ingredient has 2.4Kcal per gram compared to 4Kcal/g in sugar.

While the substitute is almost twice the cost of sugar, Barfoot said “it gives companies the opportunity to innovate and differentiate a brand”.​

Find the online webinar HERE​.