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).
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