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Move over indulgences. A big trend for 2022 — low sugar. 45% of Americans named reducing their sugar intake as a top goal for 2022 (Food Business News). Even with the want for less sugar, consumers don’t want to give up the rich, decadent flavors they love. 70% even went as far to say taste trumps the amount of sugar per serving (Candy Industry). Help sweeten the deal and see sales skyrocket. Offer low sugar sweets and snacks bursting with phenomenal flavor.

Here are some of our favorite low sugar brands sure to satisfy their extravagant cravings.

If you’re looking to uncover the latest in confections and savory snacks, well the Sweets & Snacks Expo is the place. We were happy to be back in Chicago, seeing new and familiar faces around the floor — all while getting a taste of what’s in store for the rest of the year. And let us say, this year is going to be pretty tasty!

Want all the juicy gossip on what’s the latest must-haves in snacking? Well you’ve come to the right place. We sat down with our confectionery buying team and got a debrief on the leading trends in sweets and snacking. Here’s what they uncovered.

When it comes to what’s better-for-you, this year it’s personal. Instead of one particular health path or diet trend, we’re all making our own choices on what’s healthy, according to market research firm, Datassential.

While our health journey might be personal, there are a few snack types coming out on top. Read on to uncover the snacks getting all the likes.

Clean is the word that’s on everyone’s lips. And it isn’t reserved for merely clean environments. They’re looking for clean labels too! In this case “clean” refers to a product’s ingredients. Here, simpler is better with 66% of consumers saying they’re looking for labels with the shortest ingredients list and 64% saying they try to eat foods with clean ingredients (Institute of Food Technologists).

Even during their search for clean and natural, consumers are not ready to give up the comforting snacks they love. That means your business has the potential to really clean up by including traditional snacks with clean ingredients in your selection.

No need to start researching clean and all natural brands. We’ll share some of our favorites with you!

Home is where the heart is AND where the snacks are made! Homemade snacks are still holding strong with 17% of consumers making them (National Confectioners Association). And with major business hubs like New York City only reporting 50% of workers back in the office, the homemade trend is sure to continue (CNBC). But lives are getting busier. Help make their homemade snacks a home run with premium ingredients and mix-ins that cut down the prep time.

International candy is going mainstream.  Once something you could only experience when traveling abroad, social media outlets like TikTok have spurred retailers to carry more imported confections than ever before (The Atlantic). One country whose candy is getting lots of love – Japan.  Exotic, intense flavors, unique textures, and vibrant packaging, Japanese confections are an experience for the senses.

New to the world of Japanese Candy? Let us take you on a tour of the top Japanese confectionery brands sure to make your business an international candy destination.