Sugar in Candy Doesn’t Deter Most Consumers

With the FDA’s May announcement of its new guidelines for including added sugars on Nutrition Facts labels, sugar has likely been on the minds of many consumers recently. But that doesn’t mean that sugar is a top concern for them when purchasing candy.

Chocolate, candy, gum, and mints account for less than 2% of the average American’s overall caloric intake, and an average of about one teaspoon of added sugar per day, according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data cited by Susan Whiteside, vice-president of public relations and marketing communications for the National Confectioners Assoc.

Sugar-free chocolate makes up only 1% of U.S. market share, likely because of a shift in how consumers are choosing to diet, and as a result, there has been a lack of innovation in this area, according to Mintel market data. Still, there are some companies creating thoughtful new products within this market. Russell Stover, which controls 75% of the sugar-free chocolate market, according to the company, recently introduced Sugar Free Bites, fruit-flavored centers covered in dark chocolate and formulated with Splenda. According to the company, the sugar-free version of the product was created before the sugar-containing one so that sugar-free consumers could feel like there was something special happening for them, too.

In addition, some confections are naturally lower in sugar, such as dark chocolate, and these might get a sweet boost from fruit inclusions such as mango and pineapple, according to Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation for Innova Market Insights, speaking in an Almond Board of California webinar. In addition, “natural sweeteners are on trend,” says Rose Potts, corporate manager, sensory and product guidance, for Blommer Chocolate, and some companies are using stevia, jackfruit, honey, and agave in confections to reduce sugar. As some company representatives at the 2016 Sweets & Snacks Show explained, stevia doesn’t always play nicely with chocolate, so it may require other ingredients to balance the taste. Wixon’s Mag-nifique for Stevia, for example, eliminates the bitter aftertaste associated with stevia and is all-natural.

According to Amy DeJong, a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison researching phase transitions of sugar-free sweeteners, sugar-free hard candies and chocolate exist for people who need to watch their sugar for health reasons like diabetes, but she believes that for the most part, people want sugar-sweetened candy. DeJong understands why consumers might be drawn to sugar-free options for things that stay in the mouth for a long time, such as gum and mints, “but otherwise, it’s candy. You’re not going to make it healthy for you.”

Everything is good in moderation, including sugar, agrees Kevin Coen, president of Fannie May. The company has always had a sugar-free line, but it’s a small market, and Coen prefers to focus on the health benefits that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, can provide, such as improving cognitive function and lowering stroke risk.

In the end, candy consumption might just be centered around finding a balance between maintaining a healthy diet and allowing for a sweet reward. “It seems consumers are starting to think differently about the role sweetened foods play in their lives,” observed Darren Seifer, executive director and food and beverage industry analyst for the NPD Group in a 2015 blog post. “They’re reserving them for certain times as opposed to an everyday snack. Marketers of these items should adapt their messaging to connect with consumers when they are allowing themselves to indulge [in] these items, which is typically toward the end of a day, after dinner, when consumers are looking for a treat or reward.

“Just because consumers are using your products less often doesn’t mean they don’t love them,” he said. “Quite the contrary, people reach for the sweetened items because they want the flavorings they’ve come to know and crave their whole lives.”

Melanie Zanoza Bartelme is Associate Editor of Food Technology magazine ([email protected]).