Chewits brand manager Sarah McDermott agrees: “The vegan trend shows no signs of slowing down, with consumers increasingly looking for gelatine free and plant-based ingredients, this is evident with the popularity of Chewits Bites, laces and twists which launched within the convenience channel in 2020, meeting this growing consumer trend.” The first foam sweet to join the brand’s vegetarian range, Haribo Starbeams offers a mix of soft jelly and foam sweets in three fruit flavours: cherry, apple and lemon. Each flavour is available in a colourful shape that represents positivity. He wants more suppliers to rethink their messaging. “Many lines are already vegetarian or vegan,” he says. “They don’t need to change their formula, but they need to put a symbol on the front. Half the world is Muslim and with people generally being more health conscious, they [suppliers] will see an increase in sales by doing this.”

Sour Sparks - HARIBO

Haribo Sour Sparks offers “a unique, chewy eating experience with a tasty, sour centre”. Big enough to bite into twice, the lightning bolt-shaped pieces come in three colour and flavour combinations: cola & lemon, apple & cherry and raspberry & pineapple. Each bite gives a longer-lasting bolt of sourness from inside the jelly to deliver a sour experience that is completely new to the range. Mahmood says: “The new HFSS legislation coming in will mean that you can’t have PMPs and advertising so then maybe we’ll see new [low and no sugar] products.” Claire James, Trade Marketing Manager for HARIBO said: “HARIBO Sour Sparks is an exciting addition. There is a huge appetite for sour treats; combine this with the demand for vegetarian lines and it’s clear that this presents a strong sales opportunity for retailers.” Claire concludes: “Both Sour Sparks and Starbeams deliver the fun, quality and taste that consumers know and love from HARIBO using ingredients that are suitable for vegetarians. Raaj claims that American sweets are much easier to source now than they used to be. “It’s become more mainstream in the last couple of years, it’s more readily available with decent margins and we can keep customers on their toes with a decent range,” he says.

The HFSS (High fat, salt, sugar) legislation due to come into force in 2022 will see restrictions on promotions, store displays and advertising of HFSS products, like sweets, and many believe this will spark a surge in healthier lines. Crashing onto the shelves with a ‘lightning bolt’ of excitement is HARIBO Sour Sparks, which offers a unique, chewy eating experience with a tasty, sour centre.

Jelly Beans - HARIBO Jelly Beans - HARIBO

HARIBO Starbeams couldn’t be more different,” adds Claire. “Appealing to consumers that enjoy a softer eating experience and a comforting treat, HARIBO Starbeams is the very first foam sweet to join our vegetarian range.”Did you know that last year Haribo celebrated 100 years of making delicious sweet treats? They are a firm favourite in our family and we love the classic sweets, as well as the new products they are bringing out. Haribo kindly gifted us some of their new sweets to celebrate National Vegetarian Week. New for 2021 are Sour Sparks and Starbeams sharing bags, both a huge hit with my 9 year old who just loves her sweets. Haribo Sour Sparks Through these playful pieces, tasty combinations, sour moments and softer eating experiences there really is something for everyone. Sweets are showing impressive growth, according to Haribo. “Total Confectionery reported a 0.7% increase [IRI Total Confectionery, Value Sales, 52 wks ending 21/2/21, Symbols & Independents], whereas sweets outperformed this at +2.2% and now account for 24.2% of all confectionery sales within this channel [ibid],” says trade marketing manager Claire James.

HARIBO HARIBO

Offering greater choice for vegetarian consumers and meeting the growing demand for veggie sweets, HARIBO has unveiled two playful treats, HARIBO Sour Sparks and HARIBO Starbeams.

Raaj thinks there is still more work to be done in this area. “There’s a lot of confectionery eaten by people that don’t have gelatin,” he says. “So many people come in and read the ingredients of the bags - I have a lot of Muslims in my area. There aren’t enough vegetarian options. I have to have a separate Haribo Halal range.” Soft and fruity, Haribo Starbeams is a mix of soft jelly and foam sweets in 3 fruity flavours with added fruit juice; Cherry, Apple and Lemon. Each flavour is available in a colourful shape that represents positivity and is suitable for Vegetarians. Win Haribo Sour Sparks and Starbeams Offering a mix of soft jelly and foam sweets, this treat has three fruit flavours: cherry, apple and lemon with added fruit juice. Each flavour is available in a colourful shape that represents positivity. Big enough to bite into twice, the lightning bolt-shaped pieces come in three great tasting colour and flavour combinations: cola and lemon, apple and cherry and raspberry and pineapple. He claims that his sugar confectionery sales are “dominated by American confectionery” since he relaid his offer six months ago. “I made the decision to replace [much of] my sugar confectionery with American lines. Not a single member of staff agreed with my decision, but now we’re smashing it. ”

Boycotting Haribo Starmix due to the dreadful new recipe

Each bite gives a longer-lasting bolt of sourness from inside the jelly to deliver a sour experience that is completely new to the range. Formats that were more suitable to at-home occasions, like sharing bags, gained popularity, notes Mondelēz International, which saw its bags grow 2% during the last year [Nielsen Mat value 26.12.20].

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Haribo Sour Sparks is a unique mix of chewy gummy sweets with a sour centre. Dual flavour combinations in each lighting bolt piece offers a bolt of sourness and a long lasting chew. Flavours include Raspberry & Pineapple, Cola & lemon and Apple & Cherry. Suitable for Vegetarians Haribo Starbeams To meet the growing demand for vegetarian sweets, Haribo has launched Haribo Sour Sparks and Haribo Starbeams.