ISM 2025 trade show highlights global snack sensations

ISM 2025 highlighted the core importance in the sweets and snacks sector: fun and indulgence. ‘Yummy Super Sour Candy Paper’ by Dutch firm Primus Wafer Paper BV claimed the top spot at this year’s innovation awards. Targeted at fun-seeking youngsters, the ultra-thin wafers based on potato starch are designed to melt in the mouth and come in intense sour apple or lemon flavors. Other notable launches with ‘special effects’ include new snacks by two Polish firms; Wawel’s new X-Plode chocolate bars with popping candy, and Wedel’s Snack Chocolates with unconventional flavors such as fizzy cola, so salty, and bubble gum. ‘Freeze-dried’ sweets also stood out, tapping into a 2024 social media buzz. The freeze-drying process is said to enhance confectionery’s flavor and texture – transforming chewy sweets to crispy treats – thus offering a new way to enjoy classic favorites.

A big show-favorite at ISM was Dubai chocolate, which – despite its rather hefty price tag – has become a global sensation, thanks to social media platforms like TikTok. Made with a mixture of pistachio cream, tahini and kadayif (also known as angel hair), Dubai chocolate has gone from niche to major global hype, with many Western and Eastern manufacturers – from big to small – jumping on the bandwagon. Dubai-style chocolate was a true crowd-favorite at the show, prominently staged at various booths and coming in various names, formulations and shapes, including tablets, bars and pralines. Cross-category innovation appears to be next on the agenda, with Dubai-style cake bars and café lattes already having emerged on the scene.

Sustainability is a regular theme at ISM, addressing industry challenges, from ingredients to production and packaging. Belgium’s Confiserie Vandenbulcke won the silver innovation award for its Pulp ‘n Choc Fruity Mix product, which uses upcycled cocoa fruit pulp as a means of waste reduction. While supply chain transparency and fair trade practices continue to be a core theme among established chocolate makers, alternative raw materials to expensive cocoa are gaining attention, with various start-ups presenting their climate-friendly solutions. Meanwhile, it was good to see Germany’s Planet A Food, who won an innovation award last year, now featuring its cocoa-free ChoViva solution based on oats and sunflower seeds in a wide range of partner products, including Lambertz, Dan Cake, Rau, Spitz and Wawi, and – very on trend – also in Seidl Confiserie’s new ChoViva Dubai Bar.

While sweet indulgence rules, innovators are also catering to the growing demand for healthier snacking solutions. A popular strategy for mindful indulgence is portion control, utilizing smaller packs as well as thinner and mini-sized products. Nutrient density also plays a growing role, as exemplified in the winner of the show’s bronze innovation award, wO’s Toasted Mini-Crackers by Israel’s Barth Ltd. The crackers are based on high-fibre, crunchy legumes that are rich in nutrients, low in calories and high in plant-based proteins. Overall, high-protein snacks continued to be ubiquitous, from snack bars to crisps, chocolates and candy. Other functional innovations, while more niche, cover a wide spectrum of wellbeing benefits, from energy to concentration and stress relief.

That is not so sure. Despite the usual cheerful atmosphere at the show, with both established companies and innovative start-ups presenting fresh ideas for the future of snacks, significant challenges lie ahead. Political instability and volatile input costs are exerting immense pressure on the industry, and the full impact of through-the-roof cocoa prices is expected to hit businesses – and consumers – hard in 2025. While the snacks industry has demonstrated resilience over the past few (already challenging) years, the path forward is not entirely sweet. From commodities under pressure to potential industry consolidation and the impact of weight-loss drugs, further disruptions in the sector are on the horizon.