How should milk chocolate taste in order to delight Germany? Symrise addresses this question in its “Milk Chocolate Mania” project. The goal is to support producers of milk chocolate in creating the beloved chocolate taste. Symrise helps them to tell in advance whether a type of milk chocolate will satisfy the palate of its target group or individual enthusiasts before it’s launched onto the market. In this way, Symrise supports them choose taste nuances so that chocolate bars hit the right notes with German consumers.

Germans love to snack – here in Germany, approximately 8.7 kilograms of different chocolate types are consumed per capita every year. With 116 chocolate bars per person every year, Germany holds the top spot and even knocked the chocolate country of Switzerland down to second place. At 21 percent, milk chocolate is clearly the preferred variety – followed by dark and extra dark chocolate. So Symrise has delved deep into this passion. Experts from the in-house department for sensory and consumer insights identified and systematized the different elements of the taste profiles of numerous milk chocolate varieties. They then translated this knowledge into chocolate profiles and combined them with the preferences of consumers in Germany, which they identified through a consumer survey. With the help of the data generated, Symrise developed a predictive model that provides the basis for the company and its customers to improve the success of milk chocolate together. This applies both to new and existing chocolate products.

“We wanted to understand what consumers like about their favorite milk chocolates,” Katharina Scholz, product specialist for sweet products at Symrise, explains the origins of the project. “With Milk Chocolate Mania, producers of milk chocolate can from now on use our knowledge about the market in Germany and the taste preferences of consumers. Together, we want to create chocolate to melt for.”