Snacks & Candy

Now Trending: Spicy, Gummified, Caffeinated, Better for You

Which snacks and candy fads had the most innovative products this year?
Snacks and Candy 2022
CSP Staff

CHICAGO — In 2022, snacks became healthier, and candy became spicier. Trends in sweets and snacks also included a gummy revolution and kicks of caffeine in unexpected ways. Read on to review this year’s innovations.

Spice

One of the top trends of 2022 spanned both salty and sweet snacks—spice. The bold flavors encompassed chips, popcorn, gummies and hard candy.

Gummies

Reaching for the attention of today’s younger generation has recently included transforming existing nonchocolate candies into gummies, especially with a fruity, multi-flavor approach.

Caffeine

Whether they provide a boost of energy or simply the taste of coffee, caffeinated sweets were popular this year. Treats with a coffee theme spanned chocolate, nonchocolate and sweet snacks.

Better for You

Better-for-you products continued to perform well in 2022, and there was a draw toward protein-based snacks in the category.

Candy brands are also committing to being transparent about nutrition. More than 94% of candy products have front-of-pack calorie labels and 85% of chocolate and candy sold today comes with 200 calories or less per pack, according to a report by Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) and the National Confectioners Association (NCA).

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Mergers & Acquisitions

2023 Top 202: The Calm Before the Storm

Smaller acquisitions in 2022 turned into a deluge in the 1st half of 2023 and uncertainty looking forward

Company News

Layoffs Part of Couche-Tard’s Cost Control Efforts

Ongoing business review drives hundreds of staff reductions

Snacks & Candy

How to Incent Impulse Purchases

‘There are rays of hope, and there are a lot of them,’ according to industry expert Leigh O’Donnell

Trending

More from our partners