The way Oprah feels about bread—that is how I feel about sweets. Cakes, ice creams, pies; for me, the best part of a meal is truly saved for last.
However, as the daughter, and granddaughter, of diabetics, I am also mindful of the dangers lurking at the bottom of that pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Many modern consumers share my concerns—regarding not just diabetes, but also overall general health. These concerns are among the reasons alternative sweeteners have increased in popularity over the last several years.
Of course, these alternatives come with a unique set of formulation challenges; SweeGen’s Shari Mahon discusses the ways in which the creative building block approach can help address them (page 34). Some consumers are eschewing sweets in their meals altogether but are keeping them in their fragrances. Eddie Bulliqi sat down with Givaudan’s Xavier Renard to discuss consumers’ love affair with gourmand fragrances (page 44).
Amy Marks-McGee offers a look at the ways in which innovation—including digital events and plant-based formulas—are driving the confectionery market (page 24), while Nicholas Scott, Made Setiawan and Patrick Dunphy offer insights on sustainably sourcing one of the most popular flavors in confections, vanilla (page 50).
We hope you are sweet on this month’s offerings!
Best,
D. Eden Stuart
Associate Managing Editor
