Product and packaging highlights at ISM / ProSweets Cologne 2025

A visit to ISM / ProSweets was also on our agenda this year. We were once again on site in Cologne when the international trade fair for the confectionery and snack industry took place from February 2 to 5, 2025. The atmosphere was cheerful, not to say euphoric, in keeping with the treats on display, which we enjoyed just as much as the many interesting products from brands from all over the world. Here we show the product and packaging highlights of ISM / ProSweets Cologne 2025.

Facts and figures about ISM / ProSweets Cologne 2025

More than 250 exhibitors from 32 countries and over 16,000 trade visitors from 85 countries came to ISM / ProSweets Cologne 2025 – once again exceeding the figures of previous years.

The revised hall concept created clear structures with a total of four theme worlds to cover the entire value chain of confectionery and snacks:

– World of Sweet & Snackable Ingredients
– World of Packaging Materials
– World of Packaging Technology
– World of Production Technology

Some exhibitors relied on interactive presentations: with impressive demonstrations and best-practice examples of machines and production solutions, they made the industry’s innovations and their practical value directly tangible. For our design agency and the other visitors, the main focus was on discovering current and future industry trends, as inspiration for their own work. Otherwise, every opportunity was once again taken to exchange ideas and information and to establish new business relationships, especially at Lab5 by ISM.

A few general impressions to get you started…

New Product Showcase Awards – an overview of the winners

At ProSweets 2025, the three best innovations in the confectionery and snack industry were honored as part of the New Product Showcase Awards. Here is an overview of the winners and their special features:

1st place: Yummy Super Sour Candy Paper from Primus Wafer Paper BV

The ultra-thin potato starch wafers melt on the tongue and leave an intense flavor of sour apple or lemon – without the usual calories or annoying residue of gummy candies. This product is very different from conventional sour candies on the market.

2nd Place: Pulp ‘n Choc Fruity Mix from Confiserie Vandenbulcke

These Belgian chocolates, which come in ‘dark lemon’, ‘milk orange’ and ‘white strawberry’ flavors, are filled with cocoa pulp. The latter is a by-product of cocoa production that is normally thrown away. By upcycling the cocoa fruit pulp and combining it with fruity flavors, the manufacturer has created a sweet that supports sustainable practices while offering a unique taste experience.

3rd place: wO’s by Barth Ltd.

These crispy legume snacks are a healthy option for nutrition-conscious consumers. They are gluten-free, high in plant-based protein and fiber. Available in a variety of flavors, the crackers can be enjoyed on their own or with dips.

Product highlights at ISM / ProSweets 2025

Mashups

For a few years now, mashups have not only been popular in the world of music, but are also absolutely trendy in the fashion and food industries, among others. At ProSweets 2025, we came across some interesting combinations of ingredients that are often very contrasting and together promise unusual taste experiences.

HEXADAY covers bee pollen in white chocolate.

Vobro offers plum-shaped chocolates made from real plums covered in chocolate.

Hot Rage combines sweet flavors with intense spiciness to create exciting confectionery.

Dr. CHOQ dares to create unique chocolate varieties such as pretzel bacon.

Royal Family fills mochis, the typical Japanese rice cakes, with a cream that tastes of pancakes, mint or tiramisu.

We also encountered several seasonal mashups at the trade fair, for example, Belmio’s coffee capsules with a chocolate-raspberry-cake flavor.

Or the chocolate balls with a liquid mulled wine filling.

The chocolate pretzels with winter spices from Brandt are another sweet and aromatic option for the Advent and Christmas season.

The same applies to the iChoc chocolate bar in the Cinnamon Roll flavor.

Pistachio and matcha

Pistachios and matcha are currently very popular. So it’s no wonder that more and more brands are jumping on the bandwagon and launching their own products with either of the two ingredients. At ProSweets 2025, we saw numerous confectionery products with pistachio or matcha.

The pistachio cream has won the award in the ‘Best Healthy Snack’ category.

Brandt has crunchy chocolate sweets with a pistachio cream filling in its range.

Natto Chocolate has a green bar with a matcha flavor, among other products.

More Japanese mochis – this time from Mochikon and with matcha.

FitFit offers sugar-free pistachio balls.

And the Turkish brand Bolçi offers pistachio brittle in creamy chocolate.

Pistachio is also available in liquid form, as IronMaxx proves with its milkshake in the corresponding flavor.

Matcha in liquid form, as in the smoothie from Smart Harvest, is less surprising, as the triumphal march of this ingredient simply began as a special green tea before manufacturers from a wide range of food sectors came up with the idea of integrating it into all (im)possible foods.

Sweet or sour? The main thing is to be strikingly different

More and more brands in the confectionery and snack industry are demonstrating their willingness to experiment. Taking a strikingly different approach to sweet and savory treats can be an effective way to stand out from the crowd in a flooded market.

The Soft Candies from Sour Madness Tropical are supposed to taste as crazy as they look.

Sour edible wafer paper? Yummy Super Sour gives it a try – in a colorful and humorous way.

Flic’n’Lic offers innovative fold-up lollipops in a wide range of colors and flavors.

And the Slime Licker Double Play variant comes in a squeeze bag with two spouts in different flavors.

Marshmallows

Marshmallows are still among the most popular confectionery products of all time. Manufacturers are coming up with all kinds of ideas in terms of the exact ingredients and also in terms of branding to offer consumers new and exciting taste experiences. At ProSweets 2025, we also saw a variety of marshmallow products with that certain something.

The chocolate-covered marshmallows from Mallow&Marsh look very high-quality.

Mellow Mellow has created a colorful world of marshmallows in different shapes and flavors.

Sweet Flash offers innovative marshmallow lollipops.

Balls & Bites

With the rise of the general snacking trend, balls and bites have become particularly popular in terms of shape. At the trade fair in Cologne, we encountered a wide variety of products in this category, but primarily with a focus on “healthy snacking”.

FitFit balls are not only available with matcha, but also in a number of other flavors.

Got Rice also offers a wide range of flavors in rice balls.

Karl Karlo’s date bites are sugar-free and come in a bar format.

Another example of the trend towards round snacks is the creamy balls with a variety of fillings.

Freeze-dried

Freeze-dried food without additives is a healthy alternative snack. With freeze-dried fruit and vegetables, the connoisseur benefits from the fact that the vitamins and other micronutrients are preserved. But there are also freeze-dried snacks that are aimed more at mental than physical health.

Kluth’s freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries can be enjoyed pure or used as a topping in functional food products.

Star Candies impresses with freeze-dried “ice cream that won’t melt”.

Turkish Delight, as seen here from alko, is a sweet Turkish specialty that some may know better as Lokum or Turkish delight.

The freeze-dried strawberries with different coatings are intended to promote both physical AND mental health.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

We will stick with the topic of snacks with a health-promoting character for a while longer. One clear trend that was also evident at ISM / ProSweets 2025 concerns enrichment with vitamins and minerals as well as “good” bacteria and other ingredients that can positively influence well-being. The aim of such products is to make it easier for consumers to cover their daily requirement of certain micro and macronutrients and to support their body in a literally tasty way.

Biobor Lollipops contain vitamins D3 and K2, which are important for our immune system and our bones, among other things.

By consuming the probiotic gummy bears from Biobor and the special probiotic snacks from Nature’s Garden, bacteria that boost our digestion enter the organism.

Collagen is important for skin and joints and is added to products such as the bars from IronMaxx and Laci.

Grau Mix offers a variety of functional nut mixes.

The gummies from the Asian brand yichao contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in blood pressure regulation and kidney function, among other things.

And the vegan gummies from Candy Glam are little vitamin bombs with their high fruit content.

Superfoods

Superfoods play a central role in the health trend in the confectionery and snack industry. This is not likely to change in the near future. However, it can be assumed that brands will have to step up their creativity in order to avoid being lost in the crowd as just another superfood supplier. At the trade fair, several interesting products in this category caught our eye.

True Dates combines dates as a superfood with unusual flavors such as cola, cookie dough or licorice – a very special mashup.

The creatine and beetroot gummies are said to support muscle recovery.

Reduced-sugar to sugar-free

Confectionery with reduced or no added sugar is becoming increasingly popular. This is also a consequence of the increased health awareness of many consumers.

With the new recipe, the vanilla crescents from Wicklein contain 30 percent less sugar.

The Nalu brand promises a whopping 80 percent less sugar for its vegan gummies.

Geodi ZERO fruit spreads contain no added sugar at all.

The Bites We Love bars also contain no added sugar.

Keto cookies and snacks

The ketogenic diet – low in carbohydrates and high in fat – is a current diet trend. Those who follow it want to lose weight and/or better regulate their blood sugar and are happy to find sweets and snacks that match, such as those offered by the Mons brand.

Vegan sweets and snacks

The vegan trend is everywhere – in the confectionery and snack industry as well as in other food sectors and even in cosmetics and fashion. We have already mentioned a few vegan products in the previous chapters of our trade fair report. Here are a few more appealing examples that we discovered at ProSweets 2025.

Enhanced with real vegetables, Dare Foods’ Veggie Crisps Spicy Chipotle Cheddar now offer even more added value for nutrition- and health-conscious consumers.

The Vegan Choco Snack from milino is based on field bean protein.

iChoc stands for “fair, vegan, organic chocolate”.

Treets offers vegan snacks based on corn kernels.

Dan’s Nut Protein Bites are vegan and, as the name suggests, very high in protein.

Snacking trend: insects

Not at all vegan, but also high in protein, is the product range from Corial Foods. The brand’s bug bites, bars and crackers are made from mealworms, among other things.

Protein power

Snacks with a high protein content are undoubtedly one of the biggest trends in the industry. Accordingly, a number of exhibitors from this sector were represented at ISM / ProSweets 2025.

EMPWR Nutrition Group specializes in developing protein bars for innovative brands in Europe.

IronMaxx has numerous protein snacks up its sleeve, including Nutty Bar, Protein-30 and Zenith-50 bars, and Protein Muesli.

Fit Frida’s Choco Fruits and Cake Balls are high-protein sweets.

Crunchy protein snacks in a variety of flavors are available from rontaieli.

And if you fancy a variety of protein crisps, you will find them, for example, at The Organic Crave.

Crisps made from mycelium

Speaking of crisps, they can be made not only from potatoes but also from shiitake mushrooms.

Special alternatives to cocoa

You don’t necessarily need cocoa to create chocolate snacks: Choruba, made from Italian carob, is a sustainable alternative with a flavor similar to cocoa.

The same applies to the sunflower seed-based ingredient Choviva, which is used by the Dr. Quendt brand in a version of their Hafer Q’s, for example.

Wake-up call with coffee or caffeine

Before we move on to the packaging highlights of the confectionery and snacks at ISM / ProSweets 2025, here are a few pick-me-ups, even if only visually. Snacks with added caffeine are in demand.

Three sweets from WakeUp have the same effect as a cup of coffee.

The Kahlúa chocolate pralines from Anthon Berg contain Mexican coffee liqueur.

Why just drink espresso when you can eat it too? The Gummie Bites, with 40 milligrams of caffeine, are an inviting alternative.

“Lutsch dich wach!” (Suck yourself awake!) is the Upsters brand’s slogan, which promotes its sour caffeine sweets.

Packaging highlights at the trade fair for the confectionery and snack industry

(Inter-)Active Packaging

Products should ideally give consumers intense experiences. At ISM / ProSweets Cologne 2025, we saw several confectionery products that do just that with their (inter)active concept.

Terry’s Milk Chocolate Ball wants to be broken open.

Chocolate eggs in a real, colorful eggshell are a treat not only at Easter.

Peel off the wrapper and enjoy – that’s the motto of Amos Peelerz Mystery Cubes.

Dr. Sour’s 1 2 Shake is a mysterious-tasting soft drink that you have to twist, squeeze and shake to activate the specific color.

Packaging you just want to keep

Sustainable packaging can also mean that the packaging is so creative and gives so much pleasure that you want to keep it – whether as a decorative element or for playing with.

After enjoying the delicious gingerbread biscuits, the Beetle tin looks good on a shelf or in a display case. Or you can simply fill it with homemade biscuits next time.

The pink and purple toolbox-style tin is a real eye-catcher. It takes a tongue-in-cheek look at gender stereotypes.

The integrated toy means that children can continue to have fun even after they’ve finished the sweets.

The Green Toy plush toys from Windel are sustainable in more ways than one: they are made of 95 percent recycled material, keep kids happy for years and come with a little bag that can be refilled with a new little gift every Christmas.

Optical illusion? Creatively packaged products that are not what they appear to be

We were also impressed by the product packaging, which at first glance is misleading, not maliciously so, but in a creative way to attract the consumer’s attention, arouse interest and encourage a chuckle.

Popcorn made from marshmallows, served in a classic popcorn bucket.

Fruit made from marshmallows, packed in a typical fruit container.

“Ice cream cones” without refrigeration – crispy and always ready to be enjoyed.

iPhones in the candy department? No, they’re chewing gum.

Chewing gum sticks in deceptively realistic cigarette packs.

Wine gums in the shape of hot dogs, presented in authentic hot dog packaging.

Candy sushi in a sushi box complete with chopsticks.

Jelly beans bubble tea in a bubble tea cup with a straw.

Chocolate sticks in a well-known crayon package.

Delicious Chocolate Games – chocolate in the packaging of popular board games.

Honey in a squeezy tube shaped like a beehive.

Other highlights from this year’s ISM / ProSweets Cologne

Finally, we would like to show you a few product and packaging highlights from this year’s ISM / ProSweets Cologne that do not fall under any of the categories mentioned above.

Sun Lolly offers ice lollies in tetra packs for you to freeze yourself.

The self-fillable chocolate waffle Easter eggs make individualists happy.

Mega Bubbles by Lutti come with funny tattoos in the packaging.

The product Striking Popping Candy stands out with its idiosyncratically contoured bag.

Capri Sun, actually known as a drink, is now also available as a chewable.

Chocolates in a beverage can – surprisingly different.

Long Chips are potato snacks in a traditional bar shape, available in a variety of flavors.

Limited editions with references to cult products from other areas are trendy – like the Yummer’s sweets here, which reference the popular TV series ‘Squid Game’.