Most Americans indulge in a chocolate-flavored treat every day as they view the treat as a reward, mood lifter, energy booster and the secret to surviving a tough day, according to Cargill’s ChocoLodouglas laboratories calcium citrategic research.###The company fielded a proprietary survey to track chocolate’s appeal on its own, and also when incorporated into bakery, beverages, candy, ice cream, salty snacks azinc gluconate walgreensnd snack/nutrition bars. ###Fielded in February 2021, the survey gathered responses from more than 600 primary US grocery shoppers. ###For most of these consumers, chocolate flavors are their go-to choice. ###Across the food and beverage categories included in the survey, respondents admit they choose chocolate-flavored options at least half the time.###Besides three in four surveyed view chocolate as a way to reward oneself, 72% of respondents agree that chocolate lifts their mood, while 59% say it boosts their energy.###About 52% of respocitracal costcondents find chocolate gets them through a tough day. ###Those perceptions, combined with more at-home snacking occasions, help explain why one in signature care calcium citratethree shoppers report increasing chocolate consumption during the pandemic.###While consumers admit they’ve boosted their chocolate consumption, few register remorse for their indulgence. ###Consumer perceptions around chocolate suggest it may have an authentic role to play in better-for-you food choices. ###Nearly seven in ten associate chocolate with health benefits, a characterization even more prominent among consumers of dark chocolate. ###Perhaps not surprisingly, the survey found this perception is a key purchase driver for dark chocolate, with 52% of consumers choosing it because they believe “it’s healthier”.###Premium chocolate###The ChocoLogic survey also found interest in premium chocolate remains high, with cacao content, texture and claims around provenance among the cues consumers use to judge quality. ###Half of consumers consider dark chocolate a more premium choice, 71% notice when chocolate has a grainy, coarsecitrate 50 mg texture; and nearly one in four shoppers perceive chocolate that denotes its cocoa bean origin country as higher quality. ###This premiumization trend was also evident when consumers were asked about product claims. ###By far, the most sought claim across all categories was “made with real chocolate”, a factor 84% of shoppers said they were extremely or very likely to consider in their purchase decisions.###Flavors###While the study reveals 45% of consumers are always looking for new types of chocolate, when it comes to chocolate flavor pairings, classics still win out. ###Caramel and peanut butter topped the list by a significant margin, with 60% of consumers selecting them in their top three. ###Behind these time-tested combinations, salty, mint, fruity and coffee/espresso flavors held similar sway – with no single option clearly rising to the top. ###More novel flavor pairings such as spice, herbal and botanical notes appealed to a much narrower swath of consumers, but did show a slight uptick in interest amongst younger demographics – notably Gen Y and Gen Z.