At the 2025 International Confectionery Readers Awards, AAK’s ILLEXAO® EN 10 SG has been named Ingredient of the Year, following strong support from readers across the global confectionery community.
The Readers Awards celebrate the ingredients and technologies that professionals value most in their day-to-day development work, recognising solutions that combine performance, reliability and alignment with evolving consumer expectations.
This year’s Ingredient of the Year finalists represented a diverse range of innovative ingredient solutions. GNT’s EXBERRY® Shade Vivid Orange was praised for its bright, plant-based colouring and strong stability across confectionery formats, supporting clean-label visual appeal. TAURA by IFF’s Lemon Ginger Protein Fruit Bites impressed with their flavour intensity, nutritional functionality and shelf-stable soft-bite texture, while Ingood by Olga’s Peptipea gained recognition for its plant-based peptide composition, enhancing mouthfeel and nutritional value. Corbion’s PURAC® Powder MAX was acknowledged for delivering controlled acidity, flavour optimisation and improved product stability.
Readers ultimately selected AAK’s ILLEXAO® EN 10 SG as the standout ingredient of 2025. Valued for its sustainable profile, premium melting behaviour and dependable sensory performance, the cocoa butter equivalent delivers consistent results across a wide range of chocolate applications. Its compatibility with diverse chocolate systems and strong ethical sourcing credentials further reinforced its appeal among confectionery developers.
With this win, ILLEXAO® EN 10 SG is recognised as an indispensable ingredient for manufacturers seeking high-quality performance alongside sustainability-driven formulation.
The 2025 International Confectionery Readers Awards continues to highlight the ingredient innovations shaping the future of confectionery development.