Klaudia Volmer, Global Product Manager at BENEO, explores how sugar reduction, functionality and adventurous flavours are reshaping confectionery innovation…
What inspired BENEO to use its Sweets Box as a platform for sugar-free confectionery innovation?
Although hard-boiled candies remain the largest application represented in the Sweets Box, the collection is broader than that. It also includes soft chews, gummies and chewing gum. We first launched a sweets collection in 2009 to demonstrate the possibilities for innovation with isomalt in hard-boiled candies, and we have continued to develop the concept every two or three years.
This is the first time we have expanded it so extensively across categories. We are increasingly seeing ideas move from one confectionery format to another. For example, the latest collection includes a guarana-flavoured hard-boiled candy and a caramel candy containing caffeine. Caffeine is already familiar in chewing gum as a format associated with focus and alertness, so we wanted to explore how that idea could be transferred into other types of confectionery. The broader message is that energy does not always have to come from a can.
The Sweets Box also reflects changing consumer expectations. People have not fallen out of love with sweet products, but they increasingly expect them to deliver more. We therefore developed the collection around three principles: functionality, sensory appeal and indulgence.
Functionality can come through ingredients associated with energy or fibre, while sensory appeal is created through what we call “layers of delight”, including distinctive flavours, colours and textures. At the same time, the products still need to provide an enjoyable confectionery moment.
Why are beverage-inspired flavours such as matcha, coffee and energy drinks becoming attractive in confectionery?
Beverages are often where new flavour ideas first gain momentum, and confectionery then draws inspiration from them. We often say that innovation drives trial, but taste drives loyalty. A new concept may persuade someone to buy a product once, but it will only return to the shopping basket if the flavour experience is genuinely enjoyable.
Matcha is particularly appealing to younger consumers, which makes it interesting for hard-boiled candies. That category has a very loyal consumer base, but manufacturers are also looking for ways to attract younger shoppers. Pairing a familiar format with a flavour such as matcha, or with an energy-related positioning, can give the product a more contemporary identity.
Yuzu is another strong example. When I presented the Sweets Box to customers, several immediately recognised it as a highly relevant and fashionable flavour. Its use is not limited to beverages or confectionery; it is also appearing in products such as sports gels. It delivers the kind of fresh, bright profile that can work particularly well in warmer months.
Some hard-boiled candy manufacturers talk about a seasonal dip in summer sales. Introducing fresher, more summery flavours can help make the category feel more appropriate for that period, and yuzu fits that need very well.
However, balance is important. Some customers were initially hesitant about matcha because they associated it with bitterness. In our concept, the matcha is used in the filling and combined with the more delicate sweetness of isomalt, so it adds character without becoming overwhelming.
What makes isomalt particularly suitable for premium sugar-free confectionery?
One of the most important benefits is stability. In hot or humid conditions, manufacturers need a candy that can retain its shape, appearance and eating quality. Isomalt provides strong stability in hard-boiled candies, including filled products, and helps reduce the risk of fillings leaking.
It also supports premium visual effects. In the matcha and yuzu concept, for example, the candy has a clear appearance that allows the filling to remain visible. Isomalt can also be used to create swirls and clearly differentiated colours. This gives manufacturers more freedom to produce products that look playful, sophisticated or distinctive, depending on the target audience.
Its sweetness profile is another advantage. Isomalt has a more delicate sweetness than sugar, which can allow flavours such as coffee to come through more clearly without becoming cloying. In the coffee concept within the Sweets Box, that helps create a warm, recognisable coffee character while maintaining balance.
The role of isomalt changes slightly in chewing gum. One concept in the collection uses a dual-layer format that combines the familiar cooling effect of xylitol with the stability and crunch provided by isomalt. It can also support attractive colours, including translucent effects.
This illustrates an important point: innovation is not always about adding something completely unfamiliar. Sometimes it is about making an established product work better through improved texture, appearance or stability.
Read the full interview in our latest issue here
