Gum Confectionery Trends
Gums and candies are popular with consumers of all ages. From young kids to older adults, everyone loves the sweet taste and fun experience these sweet treats have to offer. Here are some of the biggest trends to look for in 2020.
Functional benefits
Consumers are looking to their food and beverage products to contain functional ingredients and offer functional benefits more than ever. Chewing gum provides many opportunities for brands to address enhanced mood, focus, and overall mental well-being. Chewing gum products are hitting the shelves with ingredients such as coffee, vitamins, and vegetable extracts to promote health and happiness.
CBD
CBD is one of the functional ingredients discussed above, but this one has exploded so impressively that it needs its own mention. CBD is showing up in everything from chewing gum to marshmallows to candies and mints designed to reduce stress and enhance feelings of well-being. We’re also seeing lots of CBD gummies in a range of flavors, such as apple, peach, and berry, and with additional functional ingredients, such as chamomile and melatonin for sleep.
Biodegradable gum
If you’re looking for something brand new to sink your teeth into, biodegradable gum is a mostly untapped market that’s just begging for the attention of more brands. Because most chewing gum contains plastic polymers, it usually isn’t biodegradable, meaning that all that discarded gum sticks around for years and years. Today’s consumer is more environmentally conscious than ever, making it a great time to dig into more sustainable alternatives.
Flavor fusions
Many chewing gums come in a traditional range of flavors, such as strawberry, grape, and orange. However, we see flavor fusions hitting the shelves – and they really stand out. New flavors can be more attractive to the adventurous consumer than familiar ones, so don’t be afraid to experiment to create new combos, such as watermelon and mint.
Beverage-inspired confectionery
One of the newest and hottest trends this year is confectionery products with beverage-inspired flavors. Herbal tea gummies and latte-flavored candy are two prime examples. Another example is jellybeans flavored to taste like a range of juices, including grape, strawberry, raspberry, and orange. The sky’s the limit when it comes to this category.
Reduced sugar or sugar-free options
For consumers looking to reduce their sugar intake (which are a lot these days), low-sugar and sugar-free gums and candies offer a fun indulgence that doesn’t ruin their diets. Many of these products are now being sweetened with artificial sweeteners or, even better, natural, healthier sweeteners such as acai juice or honey.