28 Oct 2024
Sustainable Farming, Nutritional Balance Plant-Based and Power Ingredients
Captivate your customers by capitalizing on these 4 top chocolate trends for 2025. From the surge in sustainable farming practices and plant-based innovations to the incorporation of power ingredients and the quest for nutritional balance, these trends predictions based on global online consumer tracking are set to reshape the chocolate industry. Use them to your advantage as a chocolatier, confectionery marketer or R&D professional!
1. Sustainable Farming
The food industry significantly impacts climate change, and its role in mitigating these effects is crucial. Consumers are well aware of that, leading to a growing appreciation for products produced through sustainable farming practices. This includes methods like vertical gardening, local sourcing, regenerative agriculture, hydroponic farming or even cutting-edge techniques such as precision fermentation. These innovative approaches are favored by consumers for their ability to minimize environmental impact.
We see consumers talking about and looking for sustainably farmed foods online across all markets, with the highest interest observed among Chinese and English-speaking consumers. We anticipate the Sustainable Farming trend to peak in these regions by 2025, with projected growth rates of 25% and 11%, respectively. Regulations such as the European Green Deal and ‘The Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR)’ are other driving forces behind the shift towards sustainable sourcing in the food industry.
Consumers are well aware of the challenges of cultivating and sourcing ingredients, especially for chocolate products. That calls for maximum transparency. Ensure consumers that your products contain ethically sourced cacao from farms that operate environmentally friendly. With labels and certifications, you can reassure people that your products that are enriched with chocolate or cocoa-based ingredients contain ethically sourced cacao from sustainable farms. Equally important is sharing the stories of the farmers and their communities that grow the cocoa beans by showcasing their sustainable practices. This not only enhances transparency but also adds authenticity to your brand.
2. Plant-Based
Plant-based eating has become mainstream, with a stable global interest in plant-based chocolate. In Chinese and Italian-speaking countries, we predict a significant growth in demand by 2025. As vegan and flexitarian diets become more normalized, consumer demands for plant-based chocolate-infused snacks and treats are evolving. Not only is the widespread availability of plant-based options expected, but vegan products should also be equally tasty as their animal-based counterparts.
Compromising on quality or indulgence is not an option. However, the requirements for plant-based chocolate go beyond just taste. Many consumers choose vegan or flexitarian diets for environmental and health reasons, so it’s crucial that plant-based chocolate treats are made with sustainable and even nutritious ingredients. When developing a plant-based chocolate product, focus not only on removing animal-based contents but also on ensuring sustainable sourcing and high nutritional value.
Belgian chocolate brand Neuhaus has released a vegan gift box with chocolates in the flavors ganache yuzu ginger, ganache earl grey, caramel pecan caramel and caramel coffee. In their front-of-pack labeling, not only do they mention the bonbons are vegan, but also list the claims ‘100% sustainably sourced cacao’, ‘palm oil free’ and ‘ingredients from natural origin’, making sure consumers know the treats are environmentally friendly and clean in every aspect.
In 2025, offering just one vegan chocolate option won’t be enough. Expand your plant-based chocolate creations by experimenting with complementary ingredients like nuts, botanicals, rice, coconut, and oats. These ingredients are known for being healthy, sustainable and delicious, allowing you to develop a diverse range of plant-based chocolate products that cater to evolving consumer preferences.
3. Power Ingredients
Did you know the majority of global consumers believe botanicals enhance the healthiness of chocolate? In fact, 68% of respondents in our worldwide consumer survey of 20,000 people thought so. While chocolate is already seen as a healthy treat, consumers are now looking to enhance its benefits by incorporating additional nutritious ingredients into their diet. This practice, known as benefit-stacking, is becoming increasingly popular.
A piece of dark chocolate is good, but dark chocolate enhanced with Power Ingredients such as nuts, fruits, seeds and adaptogens is better. This trend is already very big in Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian-speaking countries. According to our research, over the course of 2025, consumer interest in Power Ingredients will grow in the French-speaking world and will spike in China with a projected growth of +21%.
Enrich your chocolate and chocolate-based products with functional, healthy ingredients to make them even more attractive. An important tip: focus not just on the power ingredients themselves, but on the health benefits they provide. Popular health goals are enhanced energy levels, stress relief, improved cognitive function and immunity-boosting. Take some inspiration from chocolate brands on the market. Some chocolate products claim to help ease menstrual discomfort and give your skin a radiant glow. Trending power ingredients include turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties, mushrooms such as reishi and lion’s mane for its cognitive benefits and spirulina because of its energy enhancement.
4. Nutritional Balance
In the past 12 months, there were over 1.2 million online conversations and searches related to confectionery and chocolate products with a balanced mix of macronutrients. According to our always-on consumer research, Nutritional Balance is one of the most discussed trends in the chocolate industry. Further steady growth is predicted for 2025 in English, Italian, and French-speaking countries. Meanwhile, the trend is projected to spike in Chinese and Spanish-speaking regions, with interest growing by 30% and 28%, respectively.
What do consumers want from a balanced chocolate treat? The two biggest points of interest are reduced sugar content and an increased nutritional profile through power ingredients, as mentioned above. Additionally, the incorporation of healthy fats and increased fiber content are highly appealing to consumers.
People are looking for food products that fit into a balanced diet while still delivering indulgence and satisfaction. The release of a high protein, low sugar Snickers bar is a prime example of this trend. Consumers worldwide are looking for products with a healthy (or healthier) composition, without compromising on taste and texture. Use these tactics to have your sweet products meet these consumer demands:
Reduce the sugar content of your sweet chocolate products.
For extra nutritional benefits, incorporate healthy fats, such as those from nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, flaxseeds).
Create high-fiber chocolate snacks, which can bring additional gut health benefits and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
Develop chocolates with a nutritional balance to make them appealing for daily consumption – or even better: beneficial when eaten daily.
Expand your product portfolio to cater to people's specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and plant-based options.
Trend forecast based on always-on consumer data
For over a decade, Taste Tomorrow has empowered professionals in the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate industries by anticipating future cravings through global in-depth consumer research. To make these 2025 trend predictions, we analyze online consumer data using advanced semantic AI technology. We monitor online searches and conversations about bread, pastries, cakes, and chocolate products in seven different languages and in over 50 markets. This data is then combined with insights from the largest global consumer survey in the industry, providing a comprehensive global perspective on the current and future state of the food industry.
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