Trends


2022: Top 5 trends As we head into the new year,


experts at olam food ingredients (ofi) have identified five key trends in the confectionery and bakery industry it expects for 2022.Kennedy’s explores.


With 2022 on the horizon, the industry is doing its best to understand the consumer more than ever for the new year ahead. olam food ingredients is a prime example, and has shared the following five predictions for 2022:


1. Putting planet on pack


According to ofi, 2021 has seen climate change issues placed centre stage resulting in consumers growing more concerned about the planet. ofi states that consumers prefer brands who can point to the environmental benefits of their products. As a result, it’s expected that we will see brands providing greater transparency in carbon and environmental labelling. This year, ofi launched its first cocoa ingredient to disclose its carbon and water footprint on pack: deZaan Quito Oro Cocoa Mass Drops. The company is also taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, from training farmers in climate-smart agriculture to investing in renewable energy in its global processing facilities.


2. Amplified taste experiences


Many consumers have spent much of 2021 stuck at home in lockdowns and are looking for adventure and excitement in their food and beverage experiences. As we head into 2022, ofi expects this will be channelled through exotic flavour choices. The company predicts that spices will be a big hitter next year when it comes to flavour. At the new ofi innovation centre in Chicago, the company is working closely with customers, experimenting with flavour blends from spiced brownies, seasoned with chai, to snack bars combining cocoa and spice flavours.


KennedysConfection.com 3. Premium prevails


Premium products and flavours have seen significant growth, particularly in the Asian market, and ofi expects this trend to continue as consumers become wealthier and seek out indulgence and quality. As well as focusing on rich, high-quality taste, derived from cocoa


powders and butters, manufacturers will also continue to play with textures such as cocoa nibs to enhance product value and make them stand out from the crowd. ofi’s Twenty Degrees cocoa powder range is responding by sourcing premium quality cacao beans from 10 unique regions, each hand-picked for their distinctive flavour and sensory profile.


4. Back to the source


The past year has seen consumers prioritising more fresh and local ingredients as they spend more time at home. With this newfound consciousness of where their food comes from and its environmental impact, ofi predicts that we will see consumers becoming increasingly focused on authenticity and traceability, wanting to understand exactly where a product has been sourced from. Single origin cocoa ingredients will help appeal to these customer values. At ofi, the company has achieved 100% traceability of its directly sourced cocoa across its global supply chain, meaning it can now track approximately 12% of the world’s cocoa beans back to an individual farm or community.


5. Ingredients that go further


Immunity and health are high up on the consumer agenda, meaning functional ingredients that provide additional health benefits such as protein, fibre, pre-biotics and pro-biotics will see growing interest. Far from just being ‘free from’, we’ll see confectionery and snack products evolving to provide consumers with more health benefits, from plant- based snack bars that also feature immunity-boosting herbs and spices, to gluten and dairy free treats that add in fibre and probiotics. ofi’s cocoa ingredients are naturally plant-based and gluten free, helping to pack these health-boosting super snacks with flavour.


Kennedy’s Confection December 2021 15


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