Provenance, sustainable sourcing and packaging are among the stand-out themes spotlighted by Innova Market Insights for the sweets and snacks categories. Further developments are impacting the sweets and snacks sectors this coming year, in line with the market researchers’ Top Ten Trends for 2021.

In an Innova Consumer Survey 2020, 85 percent of global consumers revealed they want to learn more about wher their food comes from.

As “Transparency Triumphs” emerged as the Top Trend, brands are upping their game to meet evolving ethical, environmental and clean label consumer demands using creative, meaningful storytelling to communicate this. 

When it comes to sweets and snacks, ingredient provenance for raw materials such as nuts, cocoa and sugar is increasingly being highlighted, along with ethical credentials and packaging sustainability.

Powering snacks and confectionery NPD
The plant-based trend has continued to evolve. It has featured in Innova Market Insights top trends for several years, with “Plant Forward” in 2021, seeing the rising appeal of plant-based products in different regions and categories. This follows 2020’s “The Plant-based Revolution” and 2019’s ”The Plant Kingdom.”

Consumers demand different formats, new plant proteins and an extra level of sophistication, says Innova Market Insights. 

In confectionery and snacks, taste has always been a key driver. Plant-based indulgence is powering NPD, combining natural and free-from benefits in established areas such as chocolate, extruded snacks, nuts and snack mixes, while also featuring novel ingredients such as hemp and hibiscus.

Tailored to Fit
Personalized nutrition continues to be in the spotlight, with “Tailored to Fit” cited as Innova’s number three trend for 2021. 

Research indicates that 64 percent of global consumers have found more ways to tailor their life and products to their individual styles, beliefs and needs. 

Cereal and snack bars, in particular, continue to develop their role as carriers of all kinds of healthy ingredients, targeting key areas of interest, including performance and weight management, as well as specialist diets such as vegan, organic, high protein and keto.

At-home consumption rises
As foodservice and retail domains increasingly overlap, consumers can eat what they want, when and wher they want it. Consumers can now directly access many specialty products previously only accessible via retail points or entertainment establishments. 

“New Omnichannel Eating” was another trend for 2021, which can take on various forms in sweets and snacks. 

It includes the availability of branded cinema-style snacks in the home and restaurant branded snacks offering a range of flavors and formats, already familiar but not previously available for in-home consumption.

COVID-19 boosts demand for immunity-supporting ingredients Immunity boosting ingredients will also play a significant role in the coming year.
“In Tune with Immune” was another of Innova Market Insights’ Top Trends for 2021, reflecting how immunity and health have become more top-of-mind for consumers, with ongoing anxieties over COVID-19 continuing to be a key focus for the forthcoming year and beyond. 

According to Innova’s Consumer Survey 2020, six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for F&B products that support their immune health. One in three says that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019. 

Immunity boosting ingredients will play a significant role for the coming year, with awareness of the antioxidant content and potential immune health benefits of snacks featuring dark chocolate and so-called superfruits and the use of vitamins and zinc in hard candy and gummies.

On February 1, at 4 pm CET/10 am EST, Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova Market Insights, will present the Top Ten Trends 2021 for Sweets & Snacks that will impact the industry over the coming year and beyond.