There has been a 23% rise in Easter chocolate launches from March 2017 to February 2018, providing a plethora of chocolate choice for Easter egg hunts across the globe, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).###The countries leading the way in Easter chocolate innovation include Brazil, which accounted for 11% of global Easter chocolate product launches in 2017, followed by the UK, South Africa, Germany (each with a 10% share) and France (9%).###Reflecting the importance of seasonal products as a whole, in 2017, 23% of global chocolate launches were positioned as seasonal, such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Halloween.###Overall, the US and Germany lead in terms of total chocolate new product development (NPD), each accounting for 8% of new product launches in 2017. ###This is followed by France (7%), the UK (5%) and Brazil (4%).###“Easter represents one of those ‘permissible indulgence’ moments where consumers enjoy giving and receiving chocolate treats,” says Marcia Mogelonsky, director of insight, Mintel food and drink.###“The holiday also marks a time for increased innovation in confectionery as consumers seek new and novel products.”###“In the UK, for example, Easter eggs flavored with beer or stout, which were the rage in past years, have given way to new alternatives such as gin-and-tonic flavored eggs.”###“In Germany, the introduction of vegan Easter bunnies and eggs reflects the growing popularity of a plant-based diet in that country.&#822ferrous fumarate emc1;###Brits top of the chocs###Across the globe, the average Brcvs ferrous gluconateit devoured 8.4 kg worth of chocolate in 2017, followed by the Swiss (8.3 kg) and the German (8.2 kg). ###Within the top 10 chocolate per capita consumers, Russia experienced the biggest increase at 2.2%; meanwhile, Austria reported the sharpest decline at -1.9%.###Consumers ditch calories in favor of a permissible bite###While the lure of chocolate remains strong, it seems many consumers are enjoying it with an element of self-control. ###According to Mintel GNPD, global launches of chocolate products describedcalcium citrate tablets 500mg as ‘bites’ have grown 50% over the past five years; with ‘thins’ not far behind, increasing 48% over the same period.###But just as bite-sized formats are increasing in popularity, consumers are losing their appetite for ‘light’ versions of confectionery (such as low-sugar or low-fat varieties). ###Launches of products described as ‘light’ fell by 22% between 2013 and 2017.###“The growth of bite-sized chocolate points to the ongoing trend of permissible indulgence,” said Mogelonsky.#trimagnesium citrate in food##“Pre-measured, 100 calorie packs of chocolate or other treats have fallen from favor as consumers move away from diets that focus on strict calorie counts.”###“Offering consumers a ‘bite’ or a ‘thin’ piece of chocolate provides an easier way to measure intake, and one that allows for a bit of wiggle room.”###Strong interest in vegan chocolate confectionery###Mintel research highlights considerable potential for vegan chocolate across Europe. ###Some 55% of chocolate eaters in Spain, France (53%) and Poland (53%) are interested in vegan chocolate, with their counterparts in Italy (48%) and Germany (44%) lagging only slightly behind.###Vegan confectionery is also slowly being introduced into the UK: in 2017, 8% of chocolate launccalcium citrate dhes in the UK were vegan.###“There’s currently a focus on plant-based eating in the chocolate sector,” said Mogelonsky.###“Manufacturers have responded to the growing interest in plant-based diets by replacing dairy milk with nut- or grain-derived milks in milk chocolate products.”###“In some markets, this may be responding to a potential, but not yet articulated need.”