Vegan confectionery product launches are up by 140 per cent from 2013 to 2017, which has more than doubled around the world. Mintel has also revealed that three out of ten German consumers would like more clearly labelled vegetarian and vegan confectionery, with this number increasing to 46 per cent of consumers aged 25 to 34.
The high consumer demand is already beginning to shape the market, with Germany seeing the most vegan confectionary launches around the world. Germany made up 16 per cent of the global vegan confectionary launches in 2017. Product development has also spurred on the growth in vegan confectionary available in Germany.
Sweets within the new vegan product launches have grown by 252 per cent between 2013 and 2017. In line with this, half of Germans also want healthier confectionary on the market, with no sweeteners or artificial ingredients used in the products. 51 per cent of German consumers would also like to see more ethically sourced sweets, such as fairtrade or organic chocolate.
The Food and Drink director of insight at Mintel, Marcia Mogelonsky said: “A shift away from animal products is currently underway, as described by Mintel’s 2017 Global Food & Drink Trend ‘Power to the Plants’. After a boom in other categories, the vegan and vegetarian trend can now be seen in both chocolate and sugar confectionery.
“There has been a growth in non-dairy milk chocolate, while in sugar confectionery there is growing interest in vegetable-based gelatine – the ingredient that provides the chew in chewy-textured candy. Gelatine is traditionally derived from animal collagen, so vegans, vegetarians, kosher and halal consumers are among the consumers seeking non-eat gelatine-based confectionery.
“Growing awareness of the source of certain ingredients, such as gelatine, in confectionery products is making consumers more conscious in their purchase decisions. Germany is an ideal testing ground for vegan confectionery, as German consumers both like to indulge and are looking for ethical and inclusive products.”