Sweet Success: The Rise of Candy Manufacturers in China

The development of the candy industry in recent years

As one of the two traditional pillar snack industries in China, the candy industry maintains rapid growth and continuously expands its potential market share. In the past five years, China's candy market has maintained an annual growth rate of 8% -12%. In 2011, the scale of China's candy industry had reached 62 billion yuan. As the domestic candy industry develops and expands, various types of candies such as health, low sugar, fun, and ecological types are accelerating their collective attack on China's candy market internationally. Compared to this, the products in China's candy market appear to be very single, and under the dual pressure of foreign companies' pressure and fierce competition from domestic companies, there are many obstacles to product development in China's candy industry. The competition among domestic candy companies mainly stays at the price level, and the development of new fields is clearly insufficient compared to foreign investment. The phenomenon of product homogenization seriously hinders the competition between domestic candy enterprises and foreign brands, making their profits far inferior to foreign brands, and forcing the main battlefield of domestic brands to sink into the secondary and tertiary markets. It is worth noting that the global annual per capita consumption of candy is around 3 kilograms, while in China it is only 0.7 kilograms. Therefore, the candy market in China has enormous development potential. The breakthrough of domestic enterprises should focus on product updates and upgrades, constantly launching new products and enriching product varieties. The candy industry in China is facing a demand pattern of small products and large markets, and candy production enterprises are in a stage of structural adjustment, product updates, survival of the fittest, and corporate restructuring. As the market operation of candy products shifts from product competition to marketing, the candy industry has entered the era of brand competition.

2025-11-20

Stricter regulations are coming for the candy industry, and packaging labels will continue to be improved

At the recent annual meeting of the European Confectionery and Biscuit Association (CAOBISCO) held in Brussels, representatives from candy manufacturers such as Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, Nestle, and the European Commission discussed the role that the candy industry should play in health issues. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) stated that for candy companies, what consumers want is to restrict the children's market. Starting from curbing obesity According to the World Health Organization, one-third of children in Europe are overweight or obese, with levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids far exceeding dietary recommendations. In other regions, this issue cannot be ignored and must be given attention. Restricting advertisements According to data from the American Psychological Association, children are influenced by television commercials to choose unhealthy foods, which is a crucial factor contributing to obesity. Data shows that children who watch more TV every day consume more total calories, as well as more fast food and sugary drinks. Therefore, BEUC requires candy, food, and beverage manufacturers to reduce the addition of sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids, while increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy protein. For candy manufacturers, the first thing to do is to reduce the market. In 2010, CAOBISCO proposed a declaration for member companies to join the European Union, which called for a ban on advertising to children under the age of 12. Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, and Nestle have all announced their adherence to the declaration. Declaration of Accession to the European Union The EU declaration has certain limitations. Today's children still receive a lot of information that prompts them to choose unhealthy foods, such as candies, cookies, and other snacks with cartoon characters printed on their packaging. The advertising of EU member companies accounts for 80% of the EU food and beverage industry. Pauline Castres, a food policy official at BEUC, said that candy manufacturers should reflect on health issues, and government departments should also play a role in setting goals. At present, food companies are voluntarily joining the EU Declaration, and various food companies have made improvement policies for the children's market. Stricter regulations are coming soon The UK Advertising Council (CAP) is currently introducing policies to completely ban advertising for high-fat, high salt, and high sugar foods (HFSS), which is an extension of the current requirements for non broadcast media such as online platforms. Although many member companies have restructured their products, adjusting the packaging size is still a measure taken by many large companies. Control packaging quantity Castres strongly supports CAOBISCO's request to reduce the packaging size of candy products, but also points out that the price of small packaged foods should be appropriately reduced to make it affordable for consumers. She said, "Small volume packaging will be more than twice as expensive as other sizes of packaging, which low-income families cannot afford In addition, Castres believes that the size of each portion indicated on the trademark should truly reflect how much consumers actually eat. The amount of sugar added will be indicated BEUC stated that the EU's legislation on "Food Information Provided to Consumers (FIC)" means that from December 13, 2016, food companies will have an obligation to provide nutritional information for their products. Such labels will not be a big problem for candy companies, and consumers will not be shocked to find sugar in chocolate. Relatively speaking, it may have a greater impact on other categories, such as when consumers see a lot of sugar in what they consider to be a very healthy milk mixed breakfast, or when they see a lot of sugar in healthy cereal bars, they are usually surprised. In the United States, Mars Chocolate supports labeling of added sugar, and the National Confectionery Association has also stated that the nutritional chart of the product needs further modification. BEUC supports the launch of a traffic light signal labeling system in the European Union. Castres stated that traffic light signal labels will not only target obesity issues, but will also help consumers identify high levels of sugar and saturated fatty acid content in products that claim to be very healthy.

2025-11-20

Stricter regulations are coming for the candy industry, and packaging labels will continue to be improved

At the recent annual meeting of the European Confectionery and Biscuit Association (CAOBISCO) held in Brussels, representatives from candy manufacturers such as Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, Nestle, and the European Commission discussed the role that the candy industry should play in health issues. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) stated that for candy companies, what consumers want is to restrict the children's market. Starting from curbing obesity According to the World Health Organization, one-third of children in Europe are overweight or obese, with levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids far exceeding dietary recommendations. In other regions, this issue cannot be ignored and must be given attention. Restricting advertisements According to data from the American Psychological Association, children are influenced by television commercials to choose unhealthy foods, which is a crucial factor contributing to obesity. Data shows that children who watch more TV every day consume more total calories, as well as more fast food and sugary drinks. Therefore, BEUC requires candy, food, and beverage manufacturers to reduce the addition of sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids, while increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy protein. For candy manufacturers, the first thing to do is to reduce the market. In 2010, CAOBISCO proposed a declaration for member companies to join the European Union, which called for a ban on advertising to children under the age of 12. Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, and Nestle have all announced their adherence to the declaration. Declaration of Accession to the European Union The EU declaration has certain limitations. Today's children still receive a lot of information that prompts them to choose unhealthy foods, such as candies, cookies, and other snacks with cartoon characters printed on their packaging. The advertising of EU member companies accounts for 80% of the EU food and beverage industry. Pauline Castres, a food policy official at BEUC, said that candy manufacturers should reflect on health issues, and government departments should also play a role in setting goals. At present, food companies are voluntarily joining the EU Declaration, and various food companies have made improvement policies for the children's market. Stricter regulations are coming soon The UK Advertising Council (CAP) is currently introducing policies to completely ban advertising for high-fat, high salt, and high sugar foods (HFSS), which is an extension of the current requirements for non broadcast media such as online platforms. Although many member companies have restructured their products, adjusting the packaging size is still a measure taken by many large companies. Control packaging quantity Castres strongly supports CAOBISCO's request to reduce the packaging size of candy products, but also points out that the price of small packaged foods should be appropriately reduced to make it affordable for consumers. She said, "Small volume packaging will be more than twice as expensive as other sizes of packaging, which low-income families cannot afford In addition, Castres believes that the size of each portion indicated on the trademark should truly reflect how much consumers actually eat. The amount of sugar added will be indicated BEUC stated that the EU's legislation on "Food Information Provided to Consumers (FIC)" means that from December 13, 2016, food companies will have an obligation to provide nutritional information for their products. Such labels will not be a big problem for candy companies, and consumers will not be shocked to find sugar in chocolate. Relatively speaking, it may have a greater impact on other categories, such as when consumers see a lot of sugar in what they consider to be a very healthy milk mixed breakfast, or when they see a lot of sugar in healthy cereal bars, they are usually surprised. In the United States, Mars Chocolate supports labeling of added sugar, and the National Confectionery Association has also stated that the nutritional chart of the product needs further modification. BEUC supports the launch of a traffic light signal labeling system in the European Union. Castres stated that traffic light signal labels will not only target obesity issues, but will also help consumers identify high levels of sugar and saturated fatty acid content in products that claim to be very healthy.

2025-11-20

Can candies be stored in the refrigerator? How to store candies in summer

Can candies be stored in the refrigerator Storing candies, the refrigerator is not the place to choose. Many people like to store candy in the refrigerator. Although candy is afraid of high temperatures, storing it in the refrigerator for a long time will absorb the taste of other ingredients in the refrigerator, making the candy lose its flavor, which is not a long-term solution. There are two ways to store candy below, you can try them out. Candy storage method Iron box storage Ordinary candies can be stored in iron boxes for no more than six months, while candies with high fat and protein content can also be stored in iron boxes for no more than three months. If they become damp or sour, they must be thrown away. Low temperature storage of glass bottles Candy is sensitive to heat and moisture, so it can be stored in glass bottles in a cool, non humid indoor environment. Tip: Candy should not be placed in a place with direct sunlight, nor should it be stored together with foods that contain too much moisture. Whether stored in iron boxes or glass, attention should be paid. Shelf life of candy The shelf life of candy is generally 6 months, and it may be shortened by 1-2 months in summer. In summer and autumn, when the average temperature is above 30 ℃ and the humidity is relatively high, the shelf life of all kinds of gel soft candies should not exceed 12 months, and that of hard candies should not exceed 12 months. The shelf life of tablet/polishing sugar is mainly affected by humidity, and when the packaging is well sealed, the shelf life can reach 18-24 months.

2025-11-20

The origin of candy

The development history of candy can be traced back to three thousand years ago. The character "yi" appeared in ancient Chinese books during the Han Dynasty, and "yi tang" may have been an early hard candy. Over a thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians used honey, dates, and figs to make sweet treats; During the Tang Dynasty, sugarcane was introduced from India to China for cultivation; In the late 16th to mid-18th century, the French proposed crystalline sugar from sugar beets; Cocoa was discovered by Europeans in the 16th century, and it was not until the 19th century that cocoa was made into chocolate; The candy production process gradually took shape in the late 19th century. Early candies were mainly composed of sugar and liquid syrup, which were boiled and mixed with some food additives. Through processes such as blending, cooling, and shaping, they formed sweet solid foods with different textures, shapes, colors, aromas, tastes, packaging, storage resistance, and portability. The organizational structure of candy is amorphous or microcrystalline solid, and the quality requirements for candy include five indicators: low water absorption, strong anti crystallization, low sweetness, high delicacy, and good shape retention. The origin of candy can be traced back to ancient times, when people initially obtained sweetness from honey and fruits. The ancient Egyptians made desserts with honey, while the Romans wrapped fruits and nuts in honey for consumption. With the development of sugar manufacturing technology, sugarcane sugar production was introduced to various places, and people began to use sugar to make various candies. After the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, candy production became mechanized and the variety of candies became increasingly diverse, gradually developing into the diverse candy categories we see today.

2025-11-20