Exclusive review: The World Confectionery Conference marks 90th anniversary of Confectionery Production in style
World Confectionery Conference Brussels - 12 September 2024
A genuine buzz surrounded this year’s World Confectionery Conference, as the event proved a worthy celebration of our publication’s 90th anniversary, offering a key platform for debating major issues facing the industry. Editor Neill Barston reports
Meeting pressing industry challenges head on, including the drive for ever-more sustainable operations, as well as addressing major policy and supply chain tests including key EUDR legislation were all high on our latest conference agenda.
The event made an engaging return to Brussels, as a select gathering of industry professionals assembled to hear fresh updates and dynamic discussion on policies which will help shape the next decade of our global industries. (Watch an exclusive video version of our event review below).
Now in its fourth edition, this year felt particularly special in marking our 90th birthday as a title, with a huge raft of changes the industry has undergone in that period, which we have diligently sought to cover from an independent perspective.
From prime advances in technology, ingredients and systems, through to evolutions in industry policy, we’ve set out to play a leading, rather than reactive role down the decades, which was reflected in the varied programme for our 2024 event.
With its core themes of sustainability and innovation across the industry, there proved no shortage of talking points on everything from the challenges of ingredients costs rising, through to tackling anticipated new legislation on deforestation.
Our action-packed show also included the annual presentation of our expanded World Confectionery Awards across six categories, as well as a reception that rounded-out celebrations for our publication’s nine decades in publishing.
Opening address
The 2024 conference was opened by Can Buharali (pictured below), president of the Caobisco European confectionery trade association, and senior director of global public affairs at Mondelez International.
“As a newly elected president of Caobisco, I stand here with a sense of responsibility and optimism. Our industry faces numerous challenges, but I believe we are also presented with opportunities to shape a sustainable, prosperous future,” he enthused, stating his organisation had this summer presented its five-year manifesto.
The ambitious plan outlined its main areas of support for the sector, assisting companies navigating a number of supply chain and regulatory hurdles, including the fast-approaching EUDR framework for tackling global deforestation.
Furthermore, the organisation’s president emphasised it is critical to ensure the confectionery industry embraces sustainable practices at every level, from sourcing raw materials, through to reducing manufacturing environmental footprints.
Can added: “We are advocating for greater transparency, and traceability in our supply chains. We need to ensure that the raw materials that we use in production respect both people and the environment.”
Furthermore, he highlighted an applied research project with the European Cocoa Association, centred on food safety, resilient crop systems and disease management, which he said had helped improve cocoa sustainability on a global level. In addition, he cited a partner scheme with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Turkey to combat child labour
in seasonal agriculture within hazelnut farming, which has prevented 10,000 children from entering labour markets.
‘There’s still much more to do,” he reflected on key challenges ahead, but noted the value of private and public partnership to further the sector’s development.
In addition, beyond sustainability, he observed that one of the most pressing issues was in delivering on consumers’ expectations on health and wellbeing in relation to product development.
Major market trends
For her part, Honorata Jarocka, a senior analyst with the Mintel group, offered some insightful market intelligence on the potential future direction of chocolate and sweet bakery markets around the world.
In her view, one of the most intriguing developments of recent times has been the rise of ‘newstalgia’ products that offer something different in flavour, while offering a nod to classic family favourite ranges.
“The use of products with a premium claim within chocolate has been increasing over the past five years, which is good for this segment. We have seen larger market players as well as private label come into this category, with high cocoa content and premium packaging being part of this market,” explained the analyst, who added that unique flavours, as well as sustainable sourcing of ingredients remained of particular importance. She revealed there has been a trend for many products to be delivered in smaller sizes – which was in part down to rises in manufacturing and ingredients costs, as well as changing consumer habits.
The snackification trend is another reason for more chocolate brands to invest in miniature innovation. In the US, for example, as many as 72 per cent of chocolate confectionery buyers typically eat chocolate confectionery on its own as a snack. Additionally, the analyst noted the emergence of ‘Alt choc’ businesses such as Win-Win, which previously claimed a World Confectionery Award for innovation, are likely to have a sizeable impact on the industry in the coming years.
Indeed, one such firm, Planet-A, from Germany, claimed the ‘emerging enterprise of the year’ accolade at this year’s event for its Choviva brand, made from oat and sunflower seeds. On environmental grounds, such confectionery is able to deliver as regards significantly cutting carbon footprint in production processes.
Italian confectionery flair
Another standout moment came from Ferrero, which offered a joint presentation. This included a return for Francesco Tramontin, the vice president of EU institutional relations, who remains a long- term supporter of our event.
He set the scene in outlining the Italian- founded firm’s commitment to delivering innovative products for its global base of consumers. “We have grown rapidly as a company, and have focused on innovation, inventing categories, as with Nutella, which is marking its 60th anniversary. This is something that makes us truly unique, in maintaining a small company mindset, and more recently we recently entered the world of acquisitions, which is another new dimension, and is part of the wider growth project for the business.
“So, whether you are big or small in this sector, our issues include handling sustainability, and geopolitical tensions we are seeing today, through to the challenges of raw materials in pricing increases and regulations within our industry. It’s a complex environment that we as confectionery companies need to learn to navigate.”
His colleague, Thomas Chatenier, president of Nutella, then offered a notable overview of the company’s history from its roots in Northern Italy in the 1940s, in Piedmont, Alba, operating from a small pastry store, steadily growing throughout the region as its product range expanded.
As a mark of the company’s confidence, it has just taken a particularly notable step in releasing a plant based version of the iconic product last month, which he explained had been seen as a critical move to break into the vegan market.
Sustainability commitments
The headline subject of sustainability came sharply into view with our next keynote presentation, as Cargill’s James Ede took to the stage, explaining how his global group has strived to improve its performance across sectors, including within cocoa and chocolate, and wider agricultural activities.
He noted that consumers highest-rated issues were using ingredients from farmers that improves soil health and enhances agricultural workers’ livelihoods, as well as using locally sourced produce, and use of renewable energy sources. These ranked among many peoples’ highest concerns.
“As a global solutions provider, we operate across the supply chain, and it is interesting to look at how we look at issues like carbon reduction and how you impact that at farm level through to how factories and processing as well.
“We have our corporate targets on sustainability, across climate change, greenhouse gases emission reduction, deforestation and water, and the people in our supply chains where we operate. So, we focus on where we feel we can have the biggest impact.
“It’s important from a sustainability point of view to do the right thing, and support farmers, including in the cocoa sector and the communities where they are,” he observed, explaining that its Cargill Cocoa Promise remained pivotal to its sector responsibilities.
He revealed this also carried over into how it tackles other product categories such as sweeteners for gummies, and how processing methods can be as sustainable as possible across its complete value chain.
The specialist cited recent work with two businesses, a plant based firm, Hands off My Chocolate, based in the Netherlands, and also Nestle’s KitKat, as QR codes on its packs ‘breaks for good’ with Rainforest Alliance backing, building sustainability into its brand in a more prominent manner.
Equipment excellence
For his part, Soren Bettex, joint CEO of Krüger & Salecker, took the conference into more machinery-based territory, as he discussed his German firm’s contribution to the moulding equipment market for confectionery.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
As the former automotive mechanic turned entrepreneur noted, taking on the longstanding business along with his cousin four years ago has continued to prove a rewarding challenge.
“We build machines that get products in good shape,” explained Soren of the company’s core mission, as it continues to work across a number of categories, with its earliest work centred on working with dough-based recipes – which comes as little surprise with the business being based in the German marzipan production region of Lubek.
As he explained, the business is now active in more than 40 countries, including setting up a division in the US, where the company is showcasing its latest innovation the FFW gummy moulding line. “Any innovation that you may have doesn’t have impact if you don’t have the marketing abilities, so what we have found as a business is that you have to have organisational agility to be able to place equipment in the market.
“This takes time, money, and nerve and dynamics, working in teams and partnering with companies and customers, if you want to innovate and break through. You also need the right mindset – with risk taking abilities,” he asserted of the company’s approach to developing its FFW line that had drawn a positive response since its prototype launch at Interpack last year.
The power of collaboration
Maintaining an equipment focus, Lyn Pitt, managing director of British-based chocolate coating and polishing specialists DT&G Ltd, praised engineers throughout the sector as being vital to delivering a complete range of major food ranges.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
Her presentation focused on how forming industry partnerships can make a genuine difference, which saw her joined on stage with John Meadows of Newsome Limited dehumidification control equipment, and Carolin Banzer, of Rinsch, providers of high grade chocolate tank equipment.
Cargill’s James Ede underlines the company’s core sustainability activities Together, they have formed a collective partnership that has provided customers with a complete turnkey system within the segment, which they agreed has proved instrumental to their respective ongoing success.
“Turnkey production is now so important, and as a manufacturer, you have to know the people supplying your equipment are going to stick with you.
“We all work together between our companies, which I believe is what our customers want – that commitment from us, as they know that we have the expertise with their products. This is especially important in relation to sustainability in manufacturing and ethical production of chocolate,” revealed Lyn, who later expressed her delight as the company gained a significant equipment of the year honour within our 2024 event accolades.
Next, came one of the most colourful and engaging presentations of the day, as CEO of Plamil Foods, as Adrian Ling, aka, the ‘Vegan Willy Wonka’ took to the stage, and posed the question ‘Does Chocolate make you happy?”
He invited the audience to stand if they felt they made a difference to their respective industries, to which they duly obliged, as he spelt out his own family’s intriguing history within the industry.
As he recalled, it was his father Arthur who sowed the seeds of the pioneering vegan business in the 1950’s, with Plamil Foods enjoying a strong evolution upon moving to a permanent base in Folkestone, Kent.
“When I started in our business 40 years ago, there were just three of us, and now there’s nearly 50 people working there, and it’s really changed over the past 15-20 years, recalled Adrian, who stated a major life lesson has been “never be afraid to fail” with products, with some of its ranges emerging before their time.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
However, he believed that keeping a consistent stream of innovation is significant, with the company enjoying success with its vegan “So Free” chocolate in recent years. This has led to its latest venture, the Coffee Bar, using coffee beans to create a chocolate-like experience, which gained its release this summer. While he remained optimistic for the future, he addressed major hikes
in ingredient prices, including within cocoa, noting it was likely ‘there would be casualties’ from such sharp inflation, particularly smaller businesses that are less able to endure shifting prices. Despite this, he enthused that there remained a good deal of reasons to celebrate the industry of which he has been part of for decades.
Confectionery processing
Moving into ingredients field, the morning session was concluded by Denmark’s Palsgaard, which offered an assessment of how companies can increase the quality of their ranges and sharpen their performance levels.
The joint presentation from specialist Seyma Ozonuk and Kasper Stranddorf, who explained how the company is assisting businesses with its core range of emulsifiers for confectionery and bakery series.
Its series, including its AMP 4455, 4458 and PGPR, have been among the company’s core focus, described as ‘small ingredients with huge impact’ that can reduce the risk of production stoppages and cut waste in production.
As the company noted, with ingredients prices, particularly cocoa soaring in the past year, seeking to maximise potential savings elsewhere within production chains such as with emulsifiers is especially significant.
“There are more savings to be made beyond just recipe optimisation. We can help reduce waste. Around 80 per cent of chocolate issues at factories arise from flow properties not being completely right. “Having high quality emulsifiers is something that is really important, and all of our ranges are fully tested before they leave the factory to ensure they comply with standards. For any other remaining issues, we look to the industry, and we like to look at chocolate holistically, not just from our own perspective,” explained Kasper of its approach to engaging with the wider confectionery sector. The Vegan Willy Wonka, Adrian Ling, asks the audience if chocolate makes them happy.
Tackling child labour
Our afternoon sessions were kicked-off in thought-provoking style by Joke Aerts, a sustainability specialist for Dutch confectionery impact brand, Tony’s Chocolonely, who majored on its campaign tackling child labour in supply chains.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
“What we are trying to get across is that there’s a different way of buying cocoa and putting it on the market, and making farmers as a central part of the conversation.
“It’s easy to get down in the dumps when talking about cocoa, as child labour continues to be as big a problem as it was when Harkin-Engel protocol was set up over 20 years ago (in which the industry pledged to eradicate the issue), but we are seeing positivity and progress,” she revealed of its ongoing mission centred on core producing markets of Ghana and Ivory Coast.
She added that these measures included tackling industry-linked deforestation, carbon reduction initiatives, and addressing persistently low payment of agriculture, are are high on its agenda.
As she added, these were all factors relating to the overarching problems of high levels of poverty and low earnings gained by farmers. “For years, there has been under- investment in farms, households and children’s education, so it’s that’s what we are trying to end,’ she explained of its stance on the issue, which has led to the creation of its Open Chain system of paying agricultural workers an enhanced premium, as well as working to build long-term sourcing partnerships.
Following on from this, our event returned to the topic of industry trends across confectionery, with Ben Nice, a senior analyst with FMCG Gurus, who explored the subject of ‘shifting consumer behaviour towards mood enhancement and energy,’ with regard to sweets and snacks opportunities.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
As he explained, its own studies has found that 93 per cent of consumers say emotional health is just as significant as physical health, with their food and snacking choices being increasingly important in terms of ability to access products with potential health or wellbeing benefits.
From its studies, around 49 per cent of people surveyed from a global group of more than 20,000 people, who said they snack for energy boosting purposes in the morning, and some 40 per cent in the afternoon, which dropped off to just 26 per cent in the evening.
“One of the big trends we’re seeing over the next year is that we’re in an era of uncertainty, as they’re going back to busy lives (after the pandemic), this is leading them to become overwhelmed and anxious,” noting that consumers have been impacted by inflation on goods leading them to feel financially less secure.
Despite this, he observed that there was still demand for core product ranges, with many consumers were seeking snacks that offered wellbeing properties, as well as there being demand for indulgent treats.
Alternative cocoa
Next up, the potential of lab-developed chocolate was placed under the microscope by Alex Shandrovsky, business development manager for US biotech firm California Cultured, which has made waves with its advanced cell-based cocoa.
In an especially engaging presentation, he described how the company’s production may enable dozens of cycles of delivering crops a year, compared to the two main harvests for conventionally grown varieties.
“It’s kind of strange to be a biotech company in Silicon Valley creating cocoa, and never visit a farm, so I got my hands dirty and visited plantations in Ghana. I wanted to know what they truly care about and what are the challenges they are facing,” he remarked, noting that climate change is having a major impact on many traditional farming ventures, with erratic rainy seasons placing pressure on crop yields.
As he asserted, rather than negatively influencing prospects for conventional cocoa farming, high-tech firms such as his, can in fact augment the present deficit in
global supplies that has seen prices for the commodity soar. Notably, the company has already secured a key deal with Japan’s largest chocolate company, Meiji, and is presently working on gaining further regulatory approval within the US, from which it operates in Sacramento.
“We are engaging with the biggest companies in the world, they’re not talking about wanting quantities tomorrow, as this is a long-term process,” he says in response to a question on how ready the business is to scale-up.
Value of Education
Another returning familiar face to this year’s event was Confectionery Production editorial board member Andreas Bertram, managing director of ZDS, the German Central School of Confectionery. He offered an overview of the organisation’s capabilities in providing vital training for the next generation of chocolatiers, engineers and technicians within the sector.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
“We have worked with companies that are developing confectionery products, ingredients as well as equipment, which is something that I believe makes ZDS very special.
“We’re a partner for networking, training and education, and what has made a difference for us is that we’re totally independent, non-profit,” he explained, noting that its longstanding site in Solingen, Germany, has accommodation for 160 guests who engage with its wide range of training courses.
As he enthused, the organisation strives hard to keep its finger of on the pulse of the industry through gaining regular feedback from key companies operating in the segment, and it has also operated its own highly successful biannual event, Choco Tec, which is due to return to Cologne this December.
Key ingredients
The final segment of the afternoon returned to ingredients subjects, as senior product manager, Willy van Arkel majoring on its core product lines for the sector, including its Purac Powder Max, developed to provide extended shelf-life and sour flavours.
“Our applications are more on the sugar confectionery side, and there is so much happening in the market.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
“One of the big trends we have seen in Europe is for sourness in sweets, which is now also going to Asia Pacfic as well. “This summer, surveys showed that in times of inflation, the price of confectionery is very important, but the number one thing for confectionery is its taste,” stated van Arkel, adding that consumers still placed a high value on personal favourite brands.
For our final presentation Dr Johanna Schmidgall and her colleague Natalie Leuwer, put forward an engaging analysis themed on ‘taking your gummies to the next level,’ delving into how the business is able to assist with product development As they featured, the segment has shown strides with product creation in the form of fortified gummies, dietary supplement options, as well as officially medicated product possibilities that have expanded the horizons of the category.
They highlighted a major trend of gummies developed with protein content, which is becoming increasingly popular across wider food categories. Indeed, its desire to push boundaries has led to the development of its Soluform sugar reduction system, which earned the business the ingredient of the year accolade at our annual awards.
Fitting finale
This year’s formal proceedings were brought to a fitting conclusion with our returning Q&A on sustainability, which took a special focus on the hugely hot topic of the soon to be delivered EUDR laws. The panel featured Francesco Tramontin of Ferrero, who also underlined the importance of companies right across the industry in engaging with broader environmental goals, despite the ongoing challenges the sector faces.
Fellow speaker Brett Beach, co-founder of Made In Africa (MIA), reflected on the company’s Fairmade network, selling its own range of chocolate using a model of equitable trade, where a large percentage of profits are retained at origin in Madagascar and Ghana through ensuring manufacturing stays in the region. He regarded this as vital to furthering sustainability efforts.
“West African nations are producing 65 per cent of our cocoa and not one per cent of our chocolate, and we think these countries can make award winning chocolate, and that’s what creates skilled jobs,” he noted of their efforts to bring a greater level of manufacturing back into the region.
Also on the panel was Queen Angelique Monet of Eti-Oni, in Nigeria, wife of His Majesty Oba Dokun Thompson, who have between them campaigned to revive the cocoa trade and inspire the next generation of farmers in their native country.
World Confectionery Conference Brussels – 12 September 2024
“Eti-Oni in West Africa is the oldest cocoa plantation in Nigeria, and the history of it since 1896, and when His Majesty became the king became monarch in 2008, he realised that to bring in the new generation, there had to be a value in not just on being a king, but the value of Eti Oni itself.
“So, there have now been many initiatives including a cocoa festival that raise up people, and producing a royal dinner that is held in England and an eco fair. Our children had never actually tasted a candy bar until they had the one that we have now made, Gureje IV,” she enthused, explaining that the partnership with British confectionery group Beech’s has been particularly successful in proving that progress can be made for the cocoa sector across the African continent through engaging communities.
The panel was also joined by Fanny Guattier, of Rainforest Alliance, who revealed the organisation’s operations around the world in providing certification to sustainability schemes which she believed had made a difference on the ground.
As a specialist in EU policy, she felt the incoming EUDR laws on deforestation could hold strong potential, yet added that full operating clarity and collaborative working would be fundamental to its successful implementation. Following this, our World Confectionery Awards were presented across six categories (see our separate news story), which found the conference in fitting celebratory mood, as innovation and achievements around the globe were duly recognised.
Finally, this year’s wide-ranging event was wrapped-up with a drinks reception that marked our 90th anniversary in publishing. It offered a fine platform to continue the broader discussions of the day that placed some of the most pressing issues in the spotlight, as the industry seeks to tackle its wide range of shared challenges and opportunities.
- The World Confectionery Conference will be returning in September 2025 to Brussels Belgium (precise timings to be confirmed) – for sponsorship and speaking opportunities, contact sales manager Chris Meer at [email protected] and for any general editorial content or suggestions for the programme, please get in touch with editor Neill Barston at [email protected]
