Sugar-based confectionery in bad situation

The Polish confectionery market should expect its situation not to improve in the recent years, Puls Biznesu reported on Tuesday. The sugar-based candy segment is the fourth segment on the Polish confectionery market (the total value of which is PLN 12.7 billion). First three places are taken by chocolate segment, sweet and salty snacks, and cookies worth PLN 6.37 billion, PLN 2.39 billion and PLN 1.8 billion, respectively. The candy segment, worth PLN 1.4 billion, is expected to decline in value. However, jelly sweets, chews and pastilles, a part of that industry, have a good development perspective. The bad situation is a result of several factors, including negative information about sugar, diversity of other sweets and the price of chocolate bars. According to Mariusz Popek, CEO of Grupa Otmuchów, many manufacturing plants have modern production lines that remain partially unused, because of the situation on the confectionery market. Candies, throughout the years, have evolved from simple, one-flavor products to candies with filling, herbs and vitamins, what makes them more competitive on the market. New technologies were also developed, e.g. low-temperature caramel production which allows to enrich it with components susceptible to high temperatures. Candy is an easy-exportable product and may take advantage of increasingly exclusive chocolate products, more expensive cocoa bean and lower sugar prices.