Insights into future trends and innovations in confectionery and snacks are on the horizon as industry prepares for ISM and ProSweets 2022, to be held in Cologne, Germany. New ingredients, recipes and exotic flavors will be in the spotlight alongside intelligent automation and packaging technologies that are making waves in the indulgent treats space. 

The event will offer opportunities to sample next-generation indulgent launches while learning about the most salient industry trends presented by Innova Market Insights.

“Lectures by experts, special events, start-up pitches and award ceremonies are just a few of the highlights the visitors can look forward to at ISM,” explains Sabine Schommer, director at ISM. 

”At the same time, we want to set new accents with new themes in the scope of our event and congress program.”

ISM will feature a new specialized trade section focusing on the small volume sweets and snacks businesses, entitled “Finest Creations – hand-crafted.”An anticipated point of discussion will be the recent banning of the potentially carcinogenic white colorant titanium dioxide in the EU and what that signifies for formulators in the confectionery space.

New Product Showcase
The New Product Showcase will be acting as the key location for featured innovations. At this exhibit, trade visitors can examine the new products of 2022 in various display windows.

In addition, the three most innovative products of ISM 2022 that were distinguished during the ISM Night event will be presented here.

In an awards ceremony, the ISM Packaging Award will be given to the most innovative form of packaging.

Industry is holding court
The Trend Court will be dedicated to the theme trends within the sweets industry. 

New product trends and developments will be presented in a special area of the Trend Court under the theme “Sweet Trends presented by Innova Market Insights.”

Beyond this, Innova Market Insights will be organizing trend presentations several times a day in the scope of the Expert Stage. The Expert Stage will be set up as a place for an exchange of knowledge and information and is the joint lecture stage of ISM and the co-located ProSweets Cologne. 

In addition, around 20 companies launched in the past five years, will present their innovations and new concepts in the Trend Court@ISM in the designated Start-up Area.

The Trend Court@ISM in Hall 5.2 is dedicated to the theme trends within the sweets industry.New specialized trade section
Launching for the first time as a conceptual innovation, ISM will feature a specialized trade section focusing on the small volume sweets and snacks businesses, entitled “Finest Creations – hand-crafted.”

This exhibition section unites craft establishments, whose visitor target group comprises confectioners, cake shops and specialized sweet shops. 

The “future summit” for sweets and snacks
In the scope of the congress #CONNECT2030, ISM is placing the focus on the future of the global sweets and snacks industry and will provide an overview of what is going to be possible in 2030. 

The congress addresses suppliers, manufacturers and the trade in equal measures. 

It will focus on the following issues: “wher is the journey headed? What developments await us? And which challenges will this bring with it?”

ISM Award
The ISM Award is being conferred for the eighth time this year. The winner will be honored for outstanding services to the sweets and snacks industry at the gala evening on January 30. 

Last year, the award went to Patrick Poirrier, CEO of the French family business Cémoi for its ethical and sustainable cocoa supply chain program.

Halal market
Halal is deemed a forward-looking trend in German and European retail trade. The diversity of the Halal products and their marketing gains in significance every year. 

ISM 2022 is once again addressing this theme and will be offering an overview of the Halal sweets and snacks segment along with the trends and new products of this section.

FoodIngredientsFirst previously reported from ISM and ProSweets in Cologne 2020 on innovations in the baked goods segment to maintain product sweetness while increasing natural and healthy ingredients content.