Mieke Callebaut’s pronouncement regarding the direction that Guylian has taken for 2018 could have well capsulized what’s was taking place at this year’s ISM show in Cologne. And those trends don’t simply apply to chocolate, either. Many non-chocolate items were also touting their sustainability efforts, coupled with a better-for-you tagline.
Certainly there were plenty of traditional sweets for candy lovers to sample and enjoy. Still, it was clear that more fruit, more indulgent chocolate, more whimsy, more intensity, more color and more authenticity permeated the displays throughout the show.