Rising cocoa costs

Experts have now predicted a cocoa shortage, stating that production cannot keep up with demand. The rules of supply and demand dictate that this will lead to an increase in the cost of cocoa.

To cope with this, chocolate manufacturers may have to resort to passing this cost on to consumers. There are some predictions that the price of a chocolate bar could rocket towards $10 (€7.6) per bar within the decade.

Alternatively, manufacturers could increase the use of fruit and nut inclusions in their products in an attempt to keep costs low. Regardless of the cocoa shortage, this may not be such a bad option, as it takes advantage of the consumer trend of wanting healthier confectionery, as well as adding a different texture to a product.