2026 could become the year of confectionery and snack promotions
On the occasion of the upcoming Easter season, the Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association has provided an overview of last year’s developments and expectations for the year ahead, based on feedback from its member companies and the data available.
Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association: Trends in 2025 and Outlook for 2026
Consumer choices are becoming increasingly cost-conscious due to rising prices, while at the same time there is little willingness to compromise on quality. Two main directions can be observed. On the one hand, there is strong nostalgia for classic flavours and traditions: an iconic product in this regard is zselés szaloncukor (jelly-filled Christmas fondant), which has been the leading product in the category since the 1980s. The szaloncukor category consistently reaches a stable annual volume of 3,000–3,500 tonnes.
Sugar, candies, gummies and stir sticks
Successful candy manufacturers are responding to the fluctuations of the sugar market by developing innovative, export-winning products, as was revealed at a roundtable discussion in Budapest, to which the Association of Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers and the Committee of European Sugar Users invited members of the press in early October. Trade organizations representing producers and processors are also proposing new measures to lawmakers that would increase the competitiveness of our region.
Supercharged chocolate Santas on the rollercoaster of commodity prices
Suppliers are responding to changes in prices, costs and legislation with innovation, while consumers are adapting and experimenting, the Association of Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers pointed out at its end-of-year press event, where it also revealed the flavour combinations that the ‘Christmas Candy (szaloncukor) of the Year’ will tempt you with.
Cocoa market capriccio
Exchange rate fluctuations, speculators, alternative raw materials and climate change – what will our chocolate be made of in the future and how much will it cost? At its summer roundtable, the Association of Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers analysed the trends disrupting the cocoa market.
A fruitful joint innovation by Csinta
On 23 May, the Confectionery Innovation Award of the Association of Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturers was presented to Csinta, a manufacturer of pure fruit snacks, for its new family of chocolate-coated dried fruit bars. We asked Péter Redő, Managing Director of Aloha Kft. in Pomáz, about the history of the products, which have a contemporary flavour, and about their future plans.