"Health" is one of the most complex — and often misunderstood — themes in snack innovation. For some, it means clean labels and simple ingredients; for others, nutritional benefits or weight management; and for many, a sense of guilt-free enjoyment. Starting from consumer insight, this session unpacks what "healthy snacks" truly mean to different groups, and explores how brands can translate that value through ingredients, processing, and packaging design.

How can traditional snack categories stay relevant over time? One answer is to connect products with human emotions. This is exactly the business logic behind Storck, Germany’s second-largest confectionery company. Storck launched the five-layer wafer Knoppers, positioning it as a caring energy boost for busy mornings. With merci chocolate, they printed the word “thank you” on the packaging, turning it into a go-to gift for expressing appreciation. Innovation in snacks does not always happen in the recipe. Sometimes, it happens in emotional connection between people.

Based on Mordor Intelligence projections, the AI market in the food and beverage sector is expected to reach USD 29.94 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 45.8%. With AI, sensory analysis is no longer limited to subjective evaluation. It can accelerate product development, shorten innovation cycles, and improve the accuracy of predicting consumer acceptance. From E-Nose and E-Tongue to deep learning, and neurophysiological technologies, this session explores the latest AI-driven sensory analysis tools.

Traditionally, chocolate is associated with a rich, smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Freeze-drying challenges this convention by removing moisture at low temperatures, creating a stable, porous structure with a crisp and lightweight bite. With low moisture content, freeze-dried chocolate remains stable at room temperature and requires no refrigeration. This also reduces structural dependence on sugar and fat, enabling cleaner formulations. This session explores how freeze-drying may shape the next generation of chocolate innovation.

Diverse flavors have become the core driver of winning consumers' taste buds. From cross-category mashups to niche ingredients and the global reinterpretation of local cultures, new ideas keep emerging. But how can brands identify which trends are truly worth investing in? Drawing on the latest global snack innovations, this session will decode the 2025–2026 flavor landscape, and explore following questions. How to spot the next big flavor? Which ingredient innovations truly resonate with consumers? And how to balance regional preferences in global R&D strategies? The answers will help make innovation investments more forward-looking and efficient.

Want to taste specialties from across Japan? Just visit a supermarket and pick up Koikeya's "Pride" chips. From Kobe beef and Kyoto yuzu to Kyushu seaweed soy sauce and Kumamoto grilled meat, Koikeya transforms iconic dishes into layered, flavor-rich snacks using local potatoes and corn. With a commitment to Japanese ingredients and meticulous flavor crafting, the brand reached ¥59.38 billion in consolidated sales in FY2025. How does Koikeya engineer taste? From flavor selection and ingredient sourcing to precise formulation—this is how chips rivaling real cuisine are born.

(Source: Koikeya)

Well-known regional ingredients such as Dandong strawberries, Lipu taro, and Wuchang rice have become popular choices in snack and bakery development, thanks to their consistent quality and strong origin recognition. For R&D teams, these ingredients offer distinctive flavor profiles and built-in quality credentials; for brands, the stories behind their origins, local food cultures, and craftsmanship provide rich material for communication and differentiation. This session combines expert insights, product showcases, and guided tastings to explore how regional ingredients create value in product innovation. Through real-world cases, speakers will break down practical approaches to leveraging origin, flavor, and storytelling - helping brands and R&D teams develop products innovative, credible, distinctive, and scalable.