The three-day expo, which is supported by China Non-staple Food Circulation Association, will invite over 500 domestic as well as international confectionery companies, Expo organizer Jun Li told ConfectioneryNews.
Asia’s largest candy and snacks expo
China Candy & Snacks Expo is considered the largest confectionery trade show in Asia, he said.
The head of the Expo committee, Haining Wang, spoke highly of the show this year. He said over 80% of the exhibitors who participated at the Expo last year had re-registered for the event this year.
Wang added the committee had helped expand exhibition spaces for many companies by four to five times this year, and created the 'Golden Fruit Award 'given to individuals and businesses that have innovated in the candy and snack industries.
“Candy [in Chinese] refers to fruits made by sugar, and fruits symbolize harvest and achievement,” Wang said. “I’m confident about the future of Chinese confectionery industry.”
Soaring Chinese confectionery industry
According to a report by China’s Land & Peace Market Research Center, the total amount of candy produced in 2014 has reached over 3m metric tons, increasing by 11.73% compared to the previous year.
From January to July 2015, Chinese candy production reached almost 2m MT, up by 9.52% compared to the same period last year, the report says.
Factories based in China’s southern province, Guangdong, manufacture around 23% of the total candy products in the country, followed by 21.97% in Fujian province, according to the report. Guangdong and Fujian are the two biggest candy manufacturing provinces in China.
Hei Jin Gang: China’s now number one domestic chocolate brand
A recent Land & Peace’s survey suggested Vitamin C-fortified candies are Chinese consumers’ favorite confection, while fruit hard candies and cotton candies are more popular than chocolates.
Li added, even though the Chinese chocolate market is dominated by foreign chocolate brands, several domestic chocolate manufacturing companies are spearheading flavor and packaging innovation in order to be more competitive.
“Hei Jin Gang is an example. Its new product that will be launched at the Expo, Mi Yu, is almost as expensive as Hershey and Ferrero.” Li said. “The company’s market share is still small, but it’s now the number one domestic chocolate brand as Le Conte’s business toppled recently and was sold by China Foods.”
Li hopes that China Candy & Snacks Expo can be the world’s biggest event among its category in the future.