SUPERFOOD INCLUSIONS


THE HALO As confectioners pursue a new kind of better-for-you indulgence, superfood inclusions—


from baobab powder and lucuma to date sugar, acai centres, fruit couvertures and emerging Amazonian cupuaçu—are changing how consumers define wellness. Kiran Grewal reports.


T


he confectionery aisle is undergoing a change. Shoppers who once equated chocolate and candy with indulgence


now expect a second act: functionality. Market research shows the shift isn’t fad-level noise but, instead, more akin to measurable growth. The global “food inclusions” and superfood-ingredient markets are expanding—driven by consumers’ appetite for reduced sugar, clean labels, and ingredients that add vitamins, fibre or antioxidant credentials to snacks and treats. FMCG Gurus, in its 2024 Snacking Trends – The Four Trends That Matter report, notes that shoppers are increasingly motivated by “proactive living”, gravitating toward snacks that support physical and emotional wellbeing. Their research also highlights that 74% of


global consumers enjoy discovering “new and unusual flavor experiences”, opening the door for superfruit and botanical ingredients to become the new stars of sweet formulations. Industry analyses forecast steady


growth for food inclusions and the broader superfoods category into the latter half of the decade, and confectionery manufacturers are responding by folding fruit powders, concentrated fruit pastes, whole-fruit granules and fruit-derived sweeteners into bars, bonbons and bite- size treats. What this means in practice is less about replacing chocolate and more about reimagining it: fruit couvertures and fruit-infused pastes for ganaches; baobab, lucuma and other superfruit powders blended into cacao mass; date


NOVEMBER 2025 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • 11 JULY 2025


Wellness


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