What are the latest chocolate trends? In order to keep a finger on the pulse, Puratos conducts the world’s largest consumer survey in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate industry – Taste Tomorrow. In-depth insights into behaviors, attitudes and choices have been gathered from over 17.000 consumers in 40 countries.
Here are some of the biggest chocolate trends of 2020.
Taste
Taste clearly comes out as the most important factor for consumers when buying chocolate. That is why it remains key to use the best quality chocolate for the applications you’re creating!
Ethical Lifestyle
Food, lifestyle and ethics are closely linked. Consumers increasingly want to make ethical food choices, taking into account their personal values and the interests of
the planet and the people living on it.
Overall, consumers state they behave quite ethically. It is about responsible eating,
which goes beyond the personal benefit and also takes into account fair trade and environmental sustainability such as locally sourced food and packaging.
53% of consumers around the world look for food for which farmers receive a fair price. 24% of consumers already buy on a weekly basis food for which farmers receive a fair price. And 31% of consumers expects to do this even more in the future.
Sustainability programmes like Cacao-Trace which helps increase the farmers’ living income can add a lot of value for consumers.
Health
Consumer expectations around health continue to evolve. People want less and more at the same time. In food it is important to highlight power ingredients which provide both health & taste. Cocoa is such an ingredient. When buying chocolate the % of cocoa is the most important criteria. 36% of consumers look for it. It is an ingredient that consumers recognize as being close to nature and full of goodness. The higher the % of cocoa, the greater a chocolate product’s benefits for a healthy body and mind. Health in food is not only about adding ingredients, but also about reducing ingredients that are undesirable for certain reasons. Reducing sugar for example makes food and chocolate healthier.
Ultimate Convenience
With so little time & such busy lives, consumers demand the ultimate convenience. Digital solutions are becoming essential in our industry. Especially since the Covid-19 outbreak, a lot of consumers are looking for easier solutions to respect social distancing guidelines.
Globally we can see that 61% of consumers want to be able to buy fresh food 24/7 and 70% of consumers think they will buy more food online in 2030.
More detailed consumer insights and trending chocolate concepts
Are you looking for more trends and detailed data? The most innovative recipes or trending concepts in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate industry? Then visit the Taste Tomorrow website where you’ll always find the latest trends. Or subscribe to the Taste Tomorrow e-mail newsletter.
Trends after the coronavirus (Covid-19)
The coronavirus outbreak had a profound impact on consumers, changing how they live, what they eat and how they purchase. To understand these changes in behaviour and to offer our customers in-depth insights, Puratos conducted specific consumer surveys around the world to discover how the chocolate category will need to adapt and evolve to meet future consumer needs in the ‘new normal’. Reach out to your Puratos sales representative in order to get the latest trends and insights and how consumers deal with bakery, patisserie and chocolate since the coronavirus pandemic.
