Jörn Lobsien

Indulgence Signalling Colours in Chocolate Confectionery

Chocolate is an affordable treat that offers consumers moments of pleasure and indulgence. Premium chocolate has grown significantly as a category sub-segment in the past two decades, and is now a major component of the category.

Having been quite hard to find, premium chocolate is now widely accessible in store. Assortments become larger, products become more distinctive. As premium chocolate is not a defined area, it is all about consumers’ perception. Premium chocolate has a high price, yet also needs to have a premium positioning in terms of distinctive shape, colour, packaging or overall visual appeal.

Large multinational manufacturers have expanded their portfolio with acquisitions in the premium chocolate sector, and private labels show a growing assortment of premium products in that category as well, as Mintel reports in their latest category outlook.

46%

of consumers in Italy consume chocolate confectionery to indulge/treat themselves.(Mintel 2023)

56%

of UK chocolate eaters agree that eating premium chocolate is a good way to boost their moods.

Innovation as a purchase drive for chocolate shoppers

Whether it is a preference for nostalgic experiences or out-of-the-box sensations, consumers love innovative products, and are in search for a variety of textures and flavours for memorable interactions.

Caramel remains at the top rank for 2023 launches, yet consumers would find chocolate that contains more fruits and nuts highly appealing.

Health aspects are considered via portion sizing. Only 10% of consumers look for options with lower sugar or calories. 74% of consumers prefer to consume the ‘regular’ chocolate more frequently over eating larger amounts of chocolate with lower sugar contents. Small chocolate portions emphasize the role as a treat for all times, and reduce the notion of ‘guilty pleasure.’

44%

of UK consumers think that a brand that regularly brings out new flavours is more appealing than one that does not.

How To Create
Eye-catching Chocolate Decorations

Caramel-flavoured, nut-containing, orange-filled or chili-sprinkled… crunchy, smooth or a combination of both… dark, plain, red or white chocolate decoration…. First thing that consumers engage with is the visual appeal, colour and shape of the chocolate decoration. And consumers of all ages simply love chocolate decorations! The texture and mouthfeel and how the outer layer breaks down in mouth – studies suggest that the fat content heavily contributes to that experience. So let’s take a look at how to create visual appeal and distinctive looks naturally for fat-based applications!

Are you looking for clean-label solutions in liquid form for eye-catching, distinctive, and vibrant colouring for your chocolate
confectionery application?

With decades of expertise in natural colouring solutions, and decades of experience in colouring chocolate decorations, Sensient’s R&D team has introduced a number of truly exciting natural innovations that our technical team has the pleasure to work with for you.

Let’s take a look at the full colour spectrum of the rainbow:

Colourful cake decorations, stunning bakery fillings, pralines or chocolate bar decorations with an increasingly exciting colour palette… coloured chocolate decoration shows relevance across many different food applications. Explore Sensient’s range of dispersions with superior colour and dispersion stability for your application. The full portfolio shows excellent performance so that you do not need to worry about topics like colour degradation or colour stability.