Consumers are choosing premium and indulgent confectionery products as manufacturers offer healthful products. Manufacturers are working to ensure that their confectionery products entice consumers. This work involves addressing issues such as product appeal, differentiation, taste and appearance by sourcing for high quality ingredients and using fewer additives. This is even more crucial as consumers become more aware of the origin and quality of their foods.
Outward appeal
According to the Global Business Insights in January 2008, Asian consumers account for 17% of global cocoa consumption and chocolate consumption is increasing at a rate of 25% a year. Chocolates remain popular due to their luxurious taste and indulgent image.
First impressions count. Visually appealing products help to ensure the popularity of chocolate products. The use of coatings could impress the consumers and enhance the sensory qualities of the products. By incorporating high quality cocoa liquors and cocoa butters into the coatings, manufacturers could enhance the color, mouthfeel and distinctive flavor profile expected by consumers of premium chocolate brands.
ADM Cocoa’s new cocoa powders D-701 A and D-702 A, for example, could offer vivid, crimson tones or a dark, luxurious brown. These cocoa powders allow manufacturers to create high quality compound coatings and chocolate biscuit fillings. Used in plain compound chocolate coatings, the 108-NP-11 is a single origin cocoa powder made from Papua New Guinea cocoa beans.
The mouthfeel and texture of coatings are also very important. Coco butter equivalents (CBEs) and cocoa butter improvers (CBIs) offer the required melting characteristics, shelf life and flavor, and are low in trans fats.
Making healthier treats a reality
Caramel is also popular in Asia. Caramels and toffees are characterized by their soft, silky mouthfeel and firm texture. They are used to replace high levels of trans fats without affecting essential properties such as taste and mouthfeel. Ingredient suppliers are developing products to enhance these product attributes, as well as improving product properties for health while retaining great taste.
More food manufacturers are reviewing existing methods to reduce the overall fat content of their goods and meet growing consumer demands for healthier foods. As fat plays a major role in defining the sensory characteristics of many confectionery products, reducing fat levels could affect consumers’ perception of the taste, texture and quality of the product. This would be a challenge for manufacturers of premium confectionery products to overcome.
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