From traditional formats to purpose-driven innovation
Summary
Hard-boiled candies remain a familiar part of the confectionery aisle; however, their relevance is being challenged as consumers increasingly look for products that combine indulgence with added value. In fact, 3 in 5 consumers of global consumers are actively reducing sugar intake[1], while more than 3 quarters of the US snack consumers consider functional benefits important when choosing products[2]; highlighting a clear shift in expectations across the confectionery category.
To explore how this category can evolve, we spoke with Alisa Borbonus, Product Manager Functional Carbohydrates at BENEO, who is leading the development of our new Sweets Box. In this way, the innovation tool translates market insights into tangible product prototypes, helping customers unlock new opportunities for the indulgent treats with ingredients such as Isomalt and Palatinose™.
In this article, we explore:
- Why hard-boiled candies are facing changing consumer expectations; and where opportunities lie
- Key consumer and market trends shaping healthier and functional confectionery
- How the BENEO Sweets Box turns insights into real product concepts
- The role of Isomalt as a technical enabler
- Innovation examples: from energy candies to functional gummies
- How BENEO supports co-creation with customers
A category at a crossroads
Hard-boiled candies benefit from strong distribution, affordability, and nostalgic appeal. Yet, many products in this category have seen limited innovation in recent years. As a result, consumers, particularly younger generations, are shifting towards more dynamic formats such as gummies, chews, and functional snacks.
Market data indicates a growing global interest in functional confectionery. There is also an increasing focus on innovation in chewy and multi-textural formats.[3] This creates pressure on traditional segments to evolve. “The declining relevance of hard-boiled candies is mainly driven by a lack of innovation,” explains Alisa. “The format itself still has strong potential.”
Together, these developments highlight a key opportunity; not to replace the category, but to rethink it through innovation, functionality, and new experiences.
A shifting market: from simple indulgence to purpose-driven enjoyment
Today’s consumers expect more from their confectionery choices. Several key trends are shaping the category:
- Sugar reduction is becoming mainstream: A growing share of consumers actively reduces sugar intake and seeks suitable alternatives
- Functionality is gaining importance: Consumers show increasing interest in products that offer added value such as energy support, added fibre, or reduced blood glucose response
- Texture and experience drive engagement: Multi-textural formats and surprising sensory experiences are becoming key differentiators
- Health awareness influences choices: Concerns around dental health, calorie intake, and overall wellbeing contribute to interest in options with less or no sugar
Learn more about sugar reduction solutions: Natural sugar replacement and sugar reduction | BENEO
This shift highlights a clear opportunity: confectionery is evolving from simple indulgence towards purpose-driven enjoyment.
From insight to application: the Sweets Box concept
To help customers navigate these changes, BENEO developed the Sweets Box. It’s a hands-on innovation tool designed to bring ideas to life. Instead of presenting concepts in slides, the Sweets Box offers tangible prototypes that can be seen, touched and tasted. Each sample is supported by dedicated concept cards that combine formulation insights, technical benefits, and positioning ideas. “It shifts conversations away from theory towards co-creation,” says Alisa. “Customers can directly assess how concepts could be adapted to their own brands.”
As a result, innovation discussions become faster and more meaningful, bridging the gap between insight and implementation.
Isomalt: enabling modern healthier confectionery options
At the core of many concepts in the Sweets Box is Isomalt, a well-established sugar replacer with specific application-focused/technical advantages.
These include:
- Low hygroscopicity, helping prevent stickiness even in humid conditions
- Excellent shelf-life stability
- Mild sweetening profile that supports a good flavour release
- Suitability for a wide range of confectionery applications
Learn more about Isomalt: Isomalt, a naturally sourced sugar alternative | BENEO
“Isomalt is the technical backbone of the Sweets Box.”
Alisa Borbonus,
Product Manager Functional Carbohydrates at BENEO
Importantly, the showcased concepts demonstrate that Isomalt can support not only traditional formats, but also modern, innovative confectionery designs.
Prototype highlights: rethinking confectionery formats
The Sweets Box brings together a range of concepts that reflect current market trends and emerging opportunities. Each prototype also demonstrates how ingredients such as Isomalt and Palatinose™ support stability, sensory appeal and product differentiation in modern confectionery applications.
Energy candy for modern lifestyles
Caffeine-containing hard candies respond to growing demand for convenient energy solutions. Flavour options include coffee-caramel and energy drink profiles for office routines or gaming occasions. Here, Isomalt enables a clear and stable hard candy matrix with excellent colour brilliance and a sugar-like sensory profile without cooling effect. Its low hygroscopicity supports shelf life and helps prevent stickiness. As a result, the candies remain suitable for on-the-go consumption and humid environments. In addition, the long-lasting dissolution profile supports extended flavour release and prolonged enjoyment moments.
Liquid-filled candies for multi-sensory appeal
These concepts combine a sugar-free shell with a liquid centre, delivering contrast in texture and a more engaging consumption experience. Isomalt enables a robust, non-hygroscopic candy shell. As a result, sensitive liquid fillings remain protected throughout shelf life. Also, Isomalt’s melt viscosity allows to have a larger liquid core also in small candies. Its sugar-like sweetness and absence of cooling effect help preserve delicate flavours such as yuzu and matcha.
Dual-coated chewing gum
Using Isomalt as an outer coating helps enable improved visual appeal, crunch and stability, including options for coloured or translucent finishes. Combined with Xylitol in a dual-layer coating approach, Isomalt supports environmental stability, brilliant colours and strong layer adhesion. It also enables cost optimisation opportunities. The concept demonstrates how Isomalt can support faster processing and stable sugar-free coatings even in humid conditions.
Functional gummies with Palatinose™
These gummy prototypes explore opportunities for energy-related positioning and more purposeful confectionery concepts. Compared to standard sugars, Palatinose™ is characterised by a slower and more sustained release of glucose. It also supports a lower blood glucose response after consumption.
Beyond the nutritional positioning, the prototypes also showcase technical differentiation. A Palatinose™-based coating creates a crunchy outer layer while maintaining a soft gummy core. Consumers benefit from a multi-sensorial texture experience and supports differentiation within the gummy category.
Further reading on sustained energy concepts: The sweet rockstar of sugars Palatinose™ | BENEO
Melting tea gummies with fibre and Palatinose™
Inspired by concepts already established in Asia, these gummies combine indulgence with added nutritional value. They also open up new consumption occasions such as tea moments. Palatinose™ contributes a mild sweetness profile and is characterised by a lower blood glucose response compared to conventional sugars; helping modernise traditionally sugar-based tea gummy concepts from a nutritional perspective. Chicory root fibres such as Orafti® L85 or Beneo-scL85 support fibre enrichment. They also help optimise texture and control sugar crystallisation. Together, these functionalities create a smooth and stable structure suitable for delicate tea flavours.
Cotton candy reimagined
A novel application made with Isomalt, demonstrating how traditional formats can be reinvented to meet modern expectations. In this application, Isomalt enables a sugar-free cotton candy concept. It also supports process stability and a pleasant sensory profile in an unconventional confectionery format. The prototype highlights how Isomalt can help expand sugar-free confectionery beyond classic hard-boiled candies into playful and experience-driven product concepts.
Together, these examples illustrate how confectionery can evolve through format innovation, functionality, and sensory differentiation.
From prototypes to partnership
Beyond showcasing ideas, the Sweets Box is designed to enable collaboration. “The prototypes are the starting point. They are meant to be adapted, refined and further developed depending on customer strategy, target group and region,” Alisa clarifies. By combining market insights, technical feasibility, and real applications, BENEO supports customers throughout the innovation process, from initial concept to final product development. This reinforces our role as a solution partner; helping to translate trends into commercially viable products.
Looking ahead: the future of confectionery innovation
As consumer expectations continue to evolve, sugar replacers such as Isomalt are becoming increasingly important. Alisa tells us: “We see sugar replacers evolving from niche ingredients into strategic enablers for modern confectionery.”
Looking forward, successful confectionery concepts will need to combine:
- Indulgence
- Functionality
- Technical performance
- Consumer relevance
By bringing these elements together, manufacturers can unlock new growth opportunities, even in categories that have traditionally been seen as mature; opening the door to a new generation of confectionery innovation.
Key takeaways
✅ Hard-boiled candies are a timeless format; innovation will keep them relevant
✅ Consumers increasingly expect functional benefits, reduced sugar, and engaging experiences
✅ The BENEO Sweets Box translates trends into tangible product concepts
✅ Isomalt enables technical performance and product stability in reduced-sugar and functional confectionery
✅ Combining indulgence with added value opens up new opportunities for category growth
✅ Co-creation and application-driven development are key to successful innovation
Sources
[1] Innova Market Insights; Top Global Trends in Sugar Confectionery; 2026
[2] Mintel; The Consumer Approach to Snacking; US; 2026
[3] Mintel; A Year of Innovation in Sugar & Gum Confectionery; 2026
Further reading
The Sweets Box is just one example of how ingredient functionality can unlock new confectionery opportunities. For more inspiration on sugar reduction, sustained energy and application development, explore the related content below.
Natural sugar replacement and sugar reduction
Find out how BENEO’s ingredients help replace or reduce sugar while also contributing technical and nutritional benefits across different applications: Natural sugar replacement and sugar reduction | BENEO
The History of Isomalt: From Discovery to Global Sugar Replacement
Take a closer look at how Isomalt was discovered and why it became the world’s leading sugar replacer in sugar-free hard-boiled candies: The History of Isomalt: From Discovery to Global Sugar Replacement
What is Isomalt used for?
Explore where Isomalt is used and how it supports longer shelf life, reduced stickiness, brilliant colours and transparent coatings in confectionery: Isomalt, a naturally sourced sugar alternative | BENEO
The sweet rockstar of sugars; Palatinose™
Learn more about Palatinose™ and its role in areas such as blood sugar management, mental fitness and sustained energy: The sweet rockstar of sugars Palatinose™ | BENEO
Confectionery ingredients for food applications
Discover BENEO’s confectionery solutions for applications such as sugar-free hard candies and chewing gum, including ideas for texture, sensory appeal and product differentiation: Confectionery ingredients for food applications | BENEO