Ingredients
Ingredients
Trends in cocoa and chocolate applications in bakery
Brigitte Bayart
The biscuit and bakery market is shaped by polarized demands from consumers - indulgence on the one hand , the desire for healthy eating on the other . Brigitte Bayart , senior marketing manager for chocolate at Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate , takes a look at the research that Cargill has undertaken into the trends around these demands .
When it comes to biscuits and bakery products , there are two sides - the craving for indul - gence and a sensory experience , and the desire to eat healthily with per - mitted treats .
INDULGENCE AND GOURMET PREMIUMIZATION We have entered an era of re-pre miu - mization with consumers showing their renewed willingness to spend more in return for higher quality and more indulgent products . In France , shops have popped up on every street corner claiming to spe - cialize in a particular product , such as éclairs , merveilleux , madeleines and choux pastries . Although there is a risk of relying on a single product , ope - nings of such highly specialized stores highlight consumers ’ needs for higher quality and innovative products con - tai ning , for example , single origin cho - colate or specialist tea flavors . Premiumization is not just about how delicious the products are ; it is also about the brand story and image that the products in still through the use of responsibly sourced and high quality ingredients . Ingredient origin , such as chocolate from Ecuador or Madagascar , and produce ‘ made in ’ a specific country or region are both claims contributing to the value of a product . For example , Belgian cho - colate claims are increasingly used in the UK to add value and a superior touch to products .
HYBRID STORM Crazy , weird , fun , interesting : these are the words describing this new trend . Hybrid flavors and textures allow bakers to innovate and surprise people with unusual associations . Since the creation in 2013 of the ulti mate treat , the market for the Cronut - a combi - nation of a croissant and a doughnut - has flourished with new blends of for - mat , colors , flavors and food categories . There are no boun da ries and no limits - everything seems possible ! Ingredients inspired by desserts , such as chocolate brownies and tiramisu , as well as red velvet flavors , are found in both cakes and biscuits , while coffee and tea lovers are catered for with cakes and biscuits featuring a balance of mocha , cappuccino , green tea and smooth chocolate flavors . Following the ‘ kidult ’ trend , candy flavors , such as candy floss / cotton candy , cola and milkshakes , are there to delight the nostalgic gourmand . For a more sen - sible treat , we also see yogurt fla vors for healthier , breakfast-orien tated bis - cuits . Previously found in more spe - cialized stores , these products now ap - pear in top brands ’ portfolios and on large retailers ’ shelves .
FOCUSING ON TEXTURE CLAIMS Texture claims are in vogue , with bakers playing with textures in order to create an assortment of new sen sations . Accentuating tex - tures and combining them also re present a way to position pro - ducts as pre mium . The interesting part of this trend is the harmonious relationship between texture and positioning . For example , soft and warm hea ta ble chocolate cookies are often as sociated to with the cra - ving-for-in dulgence trend . In this context , chocolate is not only the top flavor in new product deve lop ments for biscuits and bakery , but also an agreeable tool to use when playing with textures . With the diversity of applications , such as dif ferent coatings and fil - lings , cho colate chunks , choco late drops and chocolate flakes , ba kers are able to let their imaginations run wild . With chocolate , it may involve a small innovation , but that new ‘ little something ’ can be greatly ap pre ci - ated by consumers . For exam ple , among new product develop ments , we have increasingly no ticed bri - oches filled with snappy real cho - colate , instead of a cho colate filling , and cookies with bake stable cho - colate gooey-filled cen ters .
24 Spring 2016 • BISCUIT WORLD