The More Than Only Food & Drink campaign deepened its engagement with UK confectionery professionals through a dedicated online webinar, delivered in partnership with Confectionery News on 26 November, which explored key trends, innovations and quality standards shaping the EU confectionery sector. Combining expert insight, real-world product examples and evolving consumer perspectives, the webinar showed how EU confectionery is responding to growing demand for both permissible treats and premium indulgence.
Showcasing Quality, Sustainability and Consumer-Driven Innovation
Led by the campaign’s Confectionery Advisor, Katharine Shipley, and moderated by business journalist Megan Tatum, the webinar provided a comprehensive overview of the EU confectionery landscape. Attendees explored how reformulation strategies, cleaner ingredients and sustainable practices are reshaping product development, while maintaining the high standards of quality, authenticity, safety and sustainability that define EU food production.
The session also highlighted the importance of EU quality schemes - Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Organic certification - in reinforcing consumer trust and product distinctiveness in an increasingly competitive market.
Real-World Case Studies from Across Europe
A central feature of the webinar was a series of EU confectionery case studies demonstrating how innovation and tradition go hand in hand:
Organic chocolate products from France and Germany – illustrating how indulgent confectionery can be reformulated to meet growing demand for cleaner labels, natural ingredients and more balanced nutritional profiles, while maintaining high standards of quality and taste.
Cioccolato di Modica PGI from Italy - the world’s only PGI-certified chocolate, highlighting regional craftsmanship and authenticity.
Together, these examples offered tangible insight into how EU confectionery producers are responding to evolving consumer expectations through quality schemes, sustainability-focused innovation and strong links to origin, while safeguarding heritage and trust.
Growing Perception of EU Confectionery
Post-webinar survey results demonstrated a clear positive impact on attendees’ understanding and perception of EU confectionery products. The information shared during the session received an average rating of 4.3 out of 5, with 92% of respondents reporting improved understanding of EU quality labels and 100% confirming stronger awareness of the EU’s key product characteristics. In addition, 76% said their perception of lesser-known EU confectionery products had improved following the webinar, while high quality emerged as the primary reason participants would consider incorporating EU confectionery into their businesses.
Supporting the UK Trade with EU Confectionery Excellence
Through its collaboration with Confectionery News, the More Than Only Food & Drink campaign continues to introduce UK professionals to Europe’s hidden confectionery heroes - products defined by innovation, sustainability, authenticity and uncompromising quality.
By combining expert market insight with inspiring product stories, the webinar reinforced the EU’s position as a leading source of premium and forward-thinking confectionery for the evolving UK market.
