From exotic elixir to 3pm snack
Credit: AdobeStock
As we enter the fifth year of preparations for another edition of World Confectionery Conference, it is impossible not to think of how chocolate, consumer demands and market trends have drastically changed in the last five years.
If we think of chocolate – our 3 p.m. boost to fight the afternoon slump – it has now become a guilty treat that often needs to be sweated off in a gym session. So, how did the “nectar of the Gods” become a mere workday snack?
More than 3,000 years ago, cacao was not a delicacy reserved for the powerful or wealthy, but was easily accessible to all.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the history of cacao, for the Mayans, this ingredient was a dietary staple and was frequently consumed in a mixture of chili or honey. With the rise of the Aztecs across Mesoamerica, historical accounts describe cacao as an important component in domestic and public rituals, often playing a role in crucial life transitions.
Celebration rituals came in the form of crushed cocoa beans, mixed with water and added spices, chillies and herbs. Somewhere between then and 2025, someone must have decided that a sweet, chocolate-layered birthday cake sounded better—not that we are complaining!
It was only in 1650 that cocoa beverages first appeared in England, and were kept for the upper classes. Fast forward to 1830 and the first chocolate bar is born in Great Britain. Two centuries later, cocoa is at risk and the rise of cocoa-free chocolate bars is upon us – a surprising twist for such a beloved and iconic food.
So, how did we go from an exotic elixir available only to the elite to a globally cherished snack associated with human rights concerns?
Events such as World Confectionery Conference, ISM & Pro Sweets, SIGEP and many others help us to understand what’s happening in the cocoa industry. Climate change, child labour, and farmer support have played a crucial role in redefining chocolate. What for many years was seen only as an indulging treat is now being reshaped.
On 11 September, in Brussels, we will be addressing key issues surrounding sustainability, equipment and ingredients developments, as well as challenges affecting supply chains. Caobisco, founding partner of our event, and Ferrero will make a return to be once again a part of WCC.
As we recently reported from Ferrero’s corporate headquarters in Luxembourg, the business has placed a strong emphasis on playing a leading role in steering the confectionery sector’s approach to major issues of tackling deforestation, as well as its social responsibilities in addressing headline urgent topics of child labour and support for communities within vital cocoa supply chains.
Once again, our World Confectionery Awards return, celebrating the achievements of equipment, ingredients and finished product businesses from around the globe, as well as emerging companies.
If you’re ready to be part of the ever-evolving confectionery and snacks industry, registration is very much open with early bird rates available for visitors and those looking to exhibit or sponsor the event: https://www.confectioneryconference.com/register/registrations/start?lasturl=https://www.confectioneryconference.com
- Inês Coutinho, digital editor
Keep in touch via email: [email protected] Twitter: @confectioneryproduction or LinkedIn: Confectionery Production magazine.
