Unusual ingredients and eco-friendly approaches to new product developments have boosted the premium chocolate sector, which continues to grow rapidly while innovation in other chocolate categories has slowed. According to Innova Market Insights, dark chocolate increased its share of new launches in the European market from 25 % in 2014 to 35 % in 2018, reflecting changing consumer habits. Meanwhile, new milk chocolate products saw their share slip from 71 % to 59 %. The market researcher found premium flavours and inclusions were also on the rise.

Consumer attitudes to chocolate have shifted dramatically over the past few years. A growing number of studies suggest that dark chocolate has potential health benefits, and consumers have been easy to convince that a daily chocolate habit could be beneficial.

At the same time, many have become interested in high quality chocolate for its purported health effects as well as for its flavour, including single origin varieties and varieties with high cocoa content. This focus on the cocoa itself has led some European consumers to push the boundaries of responsible cocoa sourcing, as the environmental and social challenges linked with chocolate increasingly have made headlines. For some consumers, recycled and/or recyclable packaging is of the utmost importance, while others are concerned about ethical issues or water use.