Allow me, just this once, an indulgence. Tesco's results, Cadbury job losses, Nisa-Today's conference, food price inflation, VAT on wheatgrass, Ocado's business model, all are potential subjects for this column. I am instead going to talk about sweeties. I should not apologise. Over the course of 383 pages (or what felt like it anyway), this week's Focus on Confectionery (see p41) reveals in detail the amazing response of confectionery manufacturers to the multiple challenges facing the category. It's clear the confectionery business is going through an incredible journey. Experts talk about premiumisation, reformulation, permissibility. These are all long words. What they mean in practice is far more exciting: additive-free Fruit Pastilles; ethically traded chocolate; magic elves; single-estate chocolate 'vineyards'; and melon and coriander-flavoured chewing gum (OK, I made that combo up but you know what I mean). Amid all the innovation and change, the comment that struck me most came from Tony Camp at Leaf UK. "It took five years before healthier biscuits became an established category, and I expect it'll take five years for confectionery to fully evolve in the healthier format." Tony's right. Confectionery, as a category, is undergoing fundamental change, and we haven't seen the end of it. So here's a couple of my own predictions. Sugar-free is out of vogue, but natural sugars like maple, palm sugar, honey, fruit, or sugars that help reduce the speed of the blood sugar rush, will grow. And within five years, I predict we'll see countlines containing grains, seeds, and even vitamin supplements.

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