Engineering the next masterpiece in confectionery innovation
By Luca Menassi, General Manager Asia, TNA Solutions.
www.tnasolutions.com
For today’s confectionery manufacturers, creating a true masterpiece means blending precision engineering with bold creativity. Jellies, gummies, marshmallows, and liquorice are being reimagined through advanced processing systems that deliver consistent quality while enabling rapid innovation. From high-efficiency cooking and continuous depositing lines to smart, data-driven quality control, the modern factory floor is designed for both reliability and experimentation.
As consumer expectations evolve, production teams are incorporating plant-based gels, functional ingredients, reduced-sugar formulations, and exotic flavour pairings—without compromising texture or repeatability. Seasonal micro-batches, personalised shapes, and premium finishes are becoming the norm, enabled by flexible automation and modular equipment.
At TNA Solutions, we consistently deliver a new generation of confectionery systems—crafted with precision, inspired by global innovation trends, and engineered to delight every batch, every season, every time.
Confectionery as composition: balancing classics and innovation
Confectionery production today can feel as much like composing a symphony as managing high-intensity operations. On one side are the familiar notes of classic gummies, marshmallows, and liquorice—products consumers expect to taste exactly the same every time. On the other are the improvisations: plant-based recipes, textural innovation, exotic flavours, and functional gummies aligned with wellness and proactive health.
Consumers increasingly want both comfort and curiosity. They seek dependable favourites alongside plant-based, fortified, seasonal, and premium indulgent options. Clean labels, transparency, and greener ingredients derived from natural sources are now integral to purchasing decisions.
Reflecting on 2025: precision meets flexibility
Confectionery in 2025 has been defined by the intersection of technical precision, consumer-driven flexibility, and manufacturing innovation. As demand shifted toward plant-based, functional, clean-label, and sensorially rich products, success depended on optimising processes, adopting smarter automation, and maintaining quality across increasingly complex portfolios.
The global confectionery market was valued at USD 225 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at a 3.6% CAGR between 2025 and 2029. Sugar-free products are leading this transformation, accounting for 35% of all new product launches in 2024.
Volatility also shaped the year. Record cocoa prices placed pressure on chocolate margins, while jelly, gummy, and marshmallow producers found opportunities to consolidate growth and demonstrate resilience. Within sugar confectionery, jellies and gummies emerged as a primary growth engine—valued at USD 38.18 billion in 2024 and projected to grow at a 3.8% CAGR through 2030.
Regionally, North America leads in functional and nutraceutical gummies, Europe remains strong in sugar-free and vegan confectionery, and Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, with growth rates of up to 12.9%, driven by urbanisation, rising incomes, and increasing health awareness.
The manufacturing challenge: efficiency, flexibility, sustainability
While innovation accelerated, manufacturers faced mounting pressures. Rising input costs and energy prices made efficiency critical. Flexibility became indispensable as short runs, seasonal SKUs, and rapid flavour rotations demanded quick changeovers with minimal downtime. Sustainability expectations continued to grow, placing focus on starch containment, reduced energy and water usage, and recyclable packaging formats.
Ready for 2026: systems that play in tune
At TNA Solutions, these priorities converge in how we support our customers. The tna mogul delivers precision starch moulding for gummies, jellies, marshmallows, fondants, crème centres, liquorice, and centre-in-shell gummies—combining repeatability for classic products with flexibility for new designs. Fast-change depositing systems support limited editions and multi-layered formats.
Downstream, tna robag® with auto-splice enables high-speed bagging with minimal film waste, while tna ropac® 5 supports efficient case packing for small, portion-controlled formats. Together, these systems create an integrated confectionery line where every process step stays perfectly in sync.
Looking ahead: regulation and responsibility
As we move into 2026, confectionery will continue balancing comfort with curiosity. Functional and nutraceutical products are expected to move from niche to mainstream, while plant-based alternatives scale despite cost and textural challenges. Premium and seasonal lines will proliferate, increasing pressure on production lines to handle faster changeovers and shorter runs.
A critical new factor is regulation. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, including a ban on PFAS in food-contact packaging, will take effect in August 2026. In the US, new traceability requirements under FSMA 204 will apply from early 2026. These changes demand reformulation, packaging redesign, and enhanced digital record-keeping—adding complexity without reducing expectations for efficiency.
Mastering the next movement
Confectionery’s enduring appeal lies in its duality: indulgence and innovation, comfort and surprise. In 2026, this balance will intensify as consumers, regulators, and global markets demand more variety, cleaner labels, and more sustainable production. The leaders of the next era will be those who master composition—harmonising repeatability with adaptability to deliver products that are both reliably crafted and dynamically responsive to emerging trends.
Experience the next chapter of confectionery innovation first-hand.
Visit ProSweets 2026, stand D-059, from 1–4 February 2026 in Cologne, Germany.
Learn more and register
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