The Sweet Truth About Confectionery Products

‘Confectionery’ is a very popular term–but do you know what it really means?

When people hear the word ‘confectionery’, they immediately think of sweets. This is correct, of course, but it’s not as simple as just candies and chocolates. There are tons of these so-called ‘confectionery’ products all over the world!

What are Confectionery Products, Anyway?

Confectionery products refer to different types of sweet foods. They come in confectionery boxes, plastic packaging, and other containers that usually have eye-catching designs and colors.

The definition and usage of this term varies from one country to the next. Still, people generally know what they’re looking for when they go out to buy confectioneries.

But these sweets aren’t a product of the modern world. In fact, they have been around since ancient times...

Where Did They Come From?

Nowadays, there are countless arrays of candy and chocolate confectionery products. Walking through an aisle of these sweets will surely bring a smile to your face!

And just like the newest confectionery novelties, these products have a history that is both robust and colorful. Surprising as it may be, the earliest depictions of these sweets appear in cave drawings!

These drawings show men getting honey from beehives, then eating it. Long before the invention of sugar, the people of India, China, and Egypt also used honey to sweeten nuts and fruits. These were the earliest forms of confectionery products around.

Of course, when sugar came into the picture, confectionery manufacturers got more creative. While sugar was originally considered a substance with healing properties, people quickly discovered that it could be used to make sweet treats as well.

Eventually, the manufacturing processes were refined, and they became automated. Other ingredients like cocoa were also used to make various products. And today, you will see confectionery products all over the world in all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors.

The Different Types of Confectionery Products

Although the term ‘confectionery products’ refers to a broad selection of sweet foods, they are often classified into two main types. These are:

Baker’s Confectionery

This type includes all sweet baked goods and most of them use flour as the main ingredient. Usually, baker’s confectionery products are served for dessert or coupled with coffee or tea as a snack.

Some of the most common examples include pastries, cakes, cookies, scones, donuts, tortes, and many, many more.

Sugar Confectionery

This type includes all the other sweet treats out there and they use sugar (or some type of sweetener) as the main ingredient. Although there are now sugar-free versions of confectionery products, they still belong under this category.

Sugar confectionery products can further be broken down into subtypes, which include:

●       Chewy Candies

These sweets are usually primarily made of glucose syrup or sugar. They tend to be hard when you first pop them into your mouth, then they become soft enough to chew.

●       Chocolates

There are chocolate bars and there are also bite-sized confectionery chocolate products, which are just as delicious.

●       Hard Candies

These include caramels, lollipops, and other hard sweets that contain lots of sugar and other flavorings too.

●       Ice Cream

Frozen cream that comes in different flavors; it can even contain small bits of nuts, fruits, or chocolate.

●       Jelly and Gum Products

These typically contain gelling agents and other types of stabilizers to give them their unique texture. The textures of jelly and gum products vary from hard and chewy to soft and squishy.

There are many other types of sugar confectionery products out there, and they vary from one country to another. So, if you love traveling, you may want to check out the local confectionery treats while you’re visiting another part of the world to make your vacation that much more sweet!

The Most Popular Confectionery Brands to Try!

As you read all about these sweet foods, your cravings might start coming alive. So, if you’re wondering what the best sweets to snack on are, here are some of the top American confectionery brands right now:

The Hershey Co.

When it comes to American sweets, The Hershey Company reigns supreme. This company has existed for more than a hundred years, and it just keeps getting better.

Among the favorites from this brand are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, Almond Joy, and the different types of Hershey’s Chocolate Bars.

Mars, Incorporated

This is another multifunctional confectionery brand in the U.S. that also makes other food products too. You can’t go wrong with classics like Twix, Milky Way, Snickers, M&M’s, and the Mars bar.

Ferrero Group

Although this brand has its origins in Italy, it’s still very popular in the U.S. In fact, it is the second biggest confectionery company and chocolate producer in the world. Some of the most well-loved products from this brand include the Ferrero Collection, Giotto, Hanuta Wafers, Kinder Bueno, and so much more.

Ferrara Candy Company

Since 2017 it is a part of Ferrero Group, responsible for production and marketing of such famous candy brands like: Lemonheads, Now and Later, Brach’s, Boston Baked Beans and after they acquired Nestle USA confectionery business in 2018 became the owner of: Nerds, Sweetarts, Everlasting Gobstopper, Laffy-Taffy, Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby Ruth.

Mondelez International

The next top American confectionery producer also manufactures snacks, beverages, and other food products. This Chicago-based company is responsible for yummy treats like Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Cadbury, and Toblerone (both the ice cream and chocolate bar), Sour Patch, Swedish Fish

General Mills

This final top brand is based in Minnesota, and it has produced its own collection of well-known brands. One such brand is Betty Crocker, which brings us treats like Fruit Roll-Ups and Rich & Creamy Frosting.

This company has also given the world other sweet treats like Häagen-Dazs ice cream and popular cereals like Cocoa Puffs, Trix, and Cheerios.

No matter which of these brands (or the many others that aren’t included in this list) you choose, you will surely satisfy your sweet tooth whether you pick up any of your favorite treats or give something new and exciting a go!

The Scoop on Sweets

By nature, confectioneries use sugar or some other type of sweetener as one of the main ingredients. It is this ingredient that gives sweetness to the products and makes wholesale confectionery a huge business.

But as more people have become interested in their health, the manufacturers of these products have announced their plans to make some modifications to simplify the ingredients and make their products healthier.

Despite this concern though, statistics have shown that the revenue of confectionery products in the year already amounts to $185 million. Also, surveys have shown that the confectionery market in the U.S. is expected to reach a whopping $52 billion by the year 2025!

We all know that numbers don’t lie–and neither does history! Sweet treats have always been around, and it seems like they will continue to grow in variety as the years go by.

Sweet Treats for Everyone!

As you can see, there is more to confectioneries than you might have originally thought. They aren’t just sweets; they are all different kinds of sweet foods that have their own histories and there is a wide array of options for you to choose from.

Now that you know more about confectionery products, the only thing that’s left to do is to get out and buy some!