In the trillion snack market, consumers from various age groups, regions, and cultural backgrounds exhibit diverse needs. Gen Z favors novel and fun flavor experiences, office workers seek the emotional value snacks provide, and health-conscious consumers prefer high-nutrition, low-guilt products. Accurately targeting these niche markets has become the key for brands to break through growth bottlenecks.

- What's new in the 2025 snack market?

- What do consumers currently prefer? Which sub-category have the most potential?

- How can brands achieve differentiated innovation while managing costs?

In the face of intense competition in the instant food industry, Baixiang Food has rapidly stood out by launching unique flavors such as cilantro, houttuynia cordata, and stinky tofu, effectively capturing the emotional needs of young consumers. Through innovative flavors and a powerful social media strategy, Baixiang has successfully transformed from a traditional brand into a trendsetter, achieving both traffic and sales growth. How do these "unconventional" flavors help the brand break through the boundaries? Differentiated product innovation and deep emotional resonance have become the key drivers for the transformation and breakthrough in the snack food industry.

As healthy snacking trend gains huge momentum in China, sodium reduction is quietly emerging as the next frontier in formulation innovation.

Consumers seek healthier options without compromising on taste, texture, or affordability. However, achieving excellent consumer preference while maintaining a familiar sensory profile and cost-efficiency remains a very complex task.

This presentation highlights solutions for smarter sodium reduction strategies on snacks and illustrates the unique Symrise approach, backed by extensive insights, consumers testing & technical expertise. Our innovative solutions provide superior taste perception while maintaining excellent product performance, setting a new industry standard.

The health trend is sweeping through the snack industry, with labels such as “low salt,” “low fat,” and “high protein” gaining widespread attention. Data shows that transitioning to clean-label products leads to an average 15% increase in overall revenue, an 11% rise in profit, and an 18% price premium. Derived from a “natural treasure,” yeast extract enhances umami, enriches texture, and balances off-flavors, unlocking new possibilities for snack innovation. With yeast, health and taste are no longer a trade-off!

From ingredients to formulations, and from physical health to emotional well-being, snacks seem to be on a mission to redefine health. How can we shed the "high fat, high sugar, high calorie" labels and turn snacks into guilt-free indulgences for consumers? Let's explore the new trends in making snacks healthier!

Under the impact of health-conscious consumption trends, "sweetness" is gradually becoming a burden. How can the traditional candy market find growth breakthroughs amid declining demand? As one of the largest candy companies in the U.S., boasting 22 iconic brands such as Nerds, Jelly Belly, and SweeTart, Ferrara refuses to settle for the status quo. Instead, it is committed to reinventing candy with fresh and innovative twists. With its strong innovative DNA, Ferrara elevated the classic Nerds brand to new heights. By creating Nerds Gummy Cluster—a soft gummy ball coated with crunchy pieces that delivers a delightful combination of textures and flavors—Ferrara achieved a legendary leap in sales, growing from $40 million to $800 million in just six years, a remarkable 20x increase. In this session, we will delve into Ferrara's innovative practices and explore how meticulous attention to detail can breathe new life into classic candy brands.

With the functional candy market growing at an impressive 17.3% annual rate (Global Market Insights), traditional sweet flavors alone are no longer enough to captivate Gen Z. As health concerns and the experience economy reshape consumer behavior, we've observed a striking trend: 62% of Gen Z consumers are willing to pay over 40% more for emotional value (Nielsen 2023). This signals a new rule in the evolution of candy—creating multi-sensory experiences that go beyond taste.

In this interactive session, FBIF's media platform will crowdsource creative ideas from our audience and collaborate with R&D teams from Golden Monkey Food, Amos Foods, Want-Want Group to explore the feasibility of turning bold concepts into reality. Together, we will deconstruct how candy is evolving from a traditional FMCG product into a "three-in-one innovation"—an emotional booster, a social connector, and a tech-driven experience—reshaping the $400 billion global candy market.

Let's discover what kind of candy can capture the hearts of you! 

From elegant pastry displays to viral social media sensations, every meticulously designed cake is a dialogue between its creator and the audience. How can baking transcend taste to become a medium for visual expression, emotional storytelling, and even cultural identity? How does aesthetics bring deeper meaning to cake design?

This session invites you into the world of baking aesthetics, exploring how cakes blur the boundaries between food and art.

                                        （Source: Provided by the speaker）

Oil-painted apples, lifelike fish and crabs, vibrant potted plants, and fashion-forward sneakers—these creations are more than just cakes. Through masterful use of color, texture, and form, they take on a new artistic identity. Witness these stunning pieces up close and experience the delightful illusion of edible art.

Since its launch in 2019, Sam's Club's Swiss Roll has generated over RMB 1 billion in annual sales, contributing 8–10% of monthly revenue per store. At Freshippo, half of the top 50 best-selling items are bakery products. As baked goods thrive in retailers like Sam's and Freshippo, supermarkets are prioritizing bakery upgrades during store revamps. For instance, after remodeling, bakery's share of sales at Yonghui's Jinshan store in Shanghai jumped from 5% to 20%. Once a quiet corner, the bakery section is now a traffic magnet on the retail floor. Behind this boom lies collaboration across suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. In this session, we'll explore:

- What structural shifts are shaping the bakery category? Why is supermarket bakery booming?

- Beyond value-for-money and health trends, what consumer preferences are driving sales?

- As supermarkets undergo upgrades, how should bakery offerings evolve in response?

- From ingredient sourcing to R&D to in-store execution — how can full-chain innovation be achieved in supermarket bakery?

From new flavors to healthier formulas and refined textures, ingredients are the key to baking innovation. Top suppliers like Cargill, Fonterra, Lesaffre and Zhongbei Food are bringing their latest creations for you to taste.

Join Wang Zi, Head Coach of China’s National Baking Team, and other experts for a 360° tasting session—exploring each product’s flavor, texture, ingredients, nutrition, and visual appeal. Experience how great ingredients make great bakes.

Since launching its iconic milk chocolate in 1926, Meiji has shaped Japan's chocolate culture. In the 1970s, playful biscuit-chocolate hybrids like "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato" became household favorites, generating over ¥23 billion in sales. In the winter of 1992, "Meltykiss" debuted with its signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and seasonal exclusivity—together driving over ¥100 billion in sales. In 2017, the premium "THE Chocolate" series targeted women and high-end markets, selling 30 million bars within six months. Riding the wave of health-conscious trends, Meiji introduced its high-cacao "Chocolate Kouka" line in 2022, highlighting cocoa polyphenol content on the packaging—and swiftly became Japan's No.1 in the high-cacao segment.

From nostalgic classics to premium offerings, from sweet milk to bold dark chocolate, from playful forms to romantic experiences—nearly a century of relentless innovation. Aren’t you curious how they’ve done it?

When you think of cereal, do you associate it with health and nutrition but find it somewhat plain? Calbee is reshaping this perception with Frugra—a product designed to be both a meal and a snack. Utilizing a non-fried baking process, Calbee enhances the cereal's crisp texture while incorporating dried fruits and a variety of grains for a richer taste experience. As a leader in cereal innovation, how does Calbee strike the perfect balance between low-sugar formulations, nutritional optimization, and indulgent flavors in response to global health trends? What new opportunities lie ahead for the cereal category? This session will explore Calbee's R&D philosophy and brand innovation strategies, offering fresh inspiration for snack development and the future of healthy food innovation.

For many, Ovaltine is a cherished childhood memory. Once a comforting cup of warm, nutritious malted cocoa drink, it has now expanded into a diverse snack empire. The signature Ovaltine flavor has gone beyond beverages to become a nostalgic yet versatile taste sensation. From crispy bites and filled biscuits to Swiss rolls, layered cakes, and oat bars, Ovaltine seamlessly adapts to various snack formats—and even crosses over into ice cream, baking, and specialty drinks, creating endless surprises!

In this discussion, we will explore:

How does Ovaltine sustain its "nostalgic yet forward-thinking" innovation strategy in response to consumers' dual demands for health and novelty?

How do collaborations, co-creation with consumers, and health-focused upgrades help keep the brand fresh and relevant?

With the rising trend of "lower sugar, better nutrition," how can Ovaltine balance its classic flavor with modern health-conscious preferences, making childhood nostalgia more appealing to today's consumers?

With high repurchase rates and broad appeal, egg tarts have long held their place on the bestseller list. However, as Gen Z consumers become more discerning, this classic category is undergoing an innovation revolution. From the savory-sweet fusion of bacon and cheese egg tarts to the irresistible "crispy crust + Maillard reaction" duo in caramel croissant egg tarts, trend-setting products are reshaping market demand.

As a leading player in the egg tart industry for 13 years, producing over 1 billion egg tarts annually, Zhongbei Foods will share insights on product innovation, supply chain optimization, and strategic channel expansion—charting the path from single-product success to full-fledged brand development.

What's the next growth driver for the egg tart category? How can brands differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape? Let's take a closer look at the future of egg tarts—and the bigger market opportunities they represent.

Scientific research is stepping out of the lab and into the market. Agricultural academies are no longer just technology providers — they are co-creating products with brands, and in some cases, even building their own. A new wave of innovation-backed brands is quietly emerging, carrying the credibility of research institutions.

Behind this trend lies the acceleration of research commercialization and a growing demand from brands for true product differentiation. This topic will explore:

- How are collaboration models between agricultural academies and enterprises built, implemented, and scaled?

- How can brands effectively communicate the value of “science-powered” products?

- How can industry-academia partnerships truly drive innovation across R&D, supply chain, and go-to-market strategies?

As scientific capabilities become part of brand equity — not just formulation — the logic of snacking innovation is being fundamentally reshaped.

How does a cocoa bean transform into rich, flavorful chocolate? In this immersive training, you'll journey through cocoa's origins and take part in every key stage—cultivation, fermentation, roasting, grinding, and final production. Gain a deep understanding of the craftsmanship behind chocolate's taste and quality.

It’s more than just a knowledge-packed session on chocolate—it's a sensory journey through sustainability, flavor, and innovation!

Indulgence or health? The answer is, of course: both! From guilt-free pleasure to mindful moderation and wholesome enjoyment, the chocolate market is undergoing a major transformation. In 2023, data shows that around 40% of consumers are looking for sugar-free, low-sugar, or plant-based chocolate options. On one hand, people are wary of sugar; on the other, they still crave that sweet indulgence. So how can brands strike the golden balance? And how can functional chocolate meet the diverse needs of today’s consumers? Ultimate indulgence, healthy indulgence, rational indulgence… the world of chocolate is being reshaped.

Bittersweet or silky, smooth or crunchy—chocolate effortlessly blends into snacks, baked goods, and beverages. At the tasting area, a delicious lineup of chocolate-infused treats awaits your discovery!