nougat Archives - usatoday24

The nougat promised them happiness in their search for impossible flavors. Until almonds and eggs skyrocketed in price

December 17, 2025 by usatoday24

If you like to celebrate Christmas with nougat, bad news: this year it will be your turn scratch your pocket more. Quite a bit more, in fact. It doesn’t matter if you prefer soft or hard bars, you love chocolate, you have a favorite manufacturer or you don’t mind trying the white label of your supermarket. You will almost certainly have to pay more. This is concluded by several studies of Facua and the OCUwhich show that Christmas sweets are not immune to the ups and downs of the market. Although it is not the general trend, in their reports they warn of some specific cases in which prices have skyrocketed. above 50%threatening to sour one of the great pleasures of the holidays. The sweet, less sweet. There is no Christmas without nougat, but this year it will be much more expensive to bring it to the table. It reflects it clearly a recent report of the OCU that warns that, on average, the classic almond nougat has become more expensive by 16%. To be more precise, the organization detected an increase of 15.8% in the price of hard tablets and 16.1% in soft tablets. The variants that dispense with added sugars also increased (although to a lesser extent), in which honey or sugar is replaced by sweeteners: in those cases the price has increased, although somewhat less, by 13.6%. One piece of information: €23/kg. The calculations start from an OCU studywhich has dedicated itself to analyzing the prices of more than a hundred nougats. The study focused specifically on the most classic varieties, the almonds, both Alicante (hard) and Jijona (soft). Then their technicians dedicated themselves to purchasing the prices of each tablet with the records they stored from 2024. With the new prices, the average kilo of nougat is in €23/kgalthough if we talk about “brand nougat” that indicator rises to €33/kg. Same photo, different details. Although the report shows a general increase in price, the rise has not been equally intense in all tablets. It influences (a lot) what brand we talk about. The best ones are white label nougat, those sold under the distributor’s labels. In that case the increase has been close to 9.4%. It is a considerable increase, but it pales when compared to the 24.3% increase in the average price of manufacturer brand nougat. Within this category, notable differences are also seen depending on the company and product. Can it go further? Yeah. According to the OCUthe nougats from El Almendro’s “Own Harvest” line cost 37% more than in 2024. The cake, however, goes to El Lobo, which has products in its catalog that cost 57% more today. The organization recognizes in any case that this percentage has an explanation: in its 2024 analysis it appeared as the cheapest, which explains why it has experienced such a pronounced price update. “These increases have turned the price of traditional branded nougat into a luxury item. Manufacturer’s nougat now costs €33/kg on average, compared to €15/kg for supermarket white label nougat,” they explain from the consumer organization. The average value of almond nougat is around €23/kg. Far beyond nougat. The OCU has not been the only one that has taken out the calculator to study how much more we will have to pay for sweets these holidays. FACUA has carried out a similar exercise, which in November I already warned that Christmas desserts had become 15.4% more expensive in large distribution chains. That was at least the average, and the organization was able to detect specific cases with exorbitant “peaks of rise”, of up to 65.3%. The study It analyzed 185 items, including nougat, but also chocolates, mantecados and Polvorones available in several supermarket chains, such as Mercadona, Dia, Hipercor, Alcampo, Eroski and Carrefour. “Only three have gone down”. “Of the total prices analyzed in the months of October 2024 and 2025, only three have decreased compared to last year and eight remain the same. The rest, 174 out of 185, are more expensive,” FACUA warnswhich warns of increases in Hipercor, Alcampo, Carrefour, Eroski, Dia and Mercadona. The clearest case was detected in a Supreme Quality toasted yolk nougat El Corte Inglés Selection from Hipercor: from 2.39 euros in 2024 it went to 3.95 euros, which represents an increase of just over 65%. In general, the organization detected an average increase in the price of sweets of 22.6% since October 2023. Searching for the causes. That nougat is experiencing such a steep price rise is no coincidence. Although there are several factors that come into play, to the OCU and CaixaBank There is one that stands out: the drift in the price of one of its main raw materials, almonds. In fact, the OCU recalls that in higher category tablets it represents more than 60% of the weight, which explains why fluctuations in its price are felt in the rates. Has it risen that much? “Its price has increased significantly: from 90-95 euros per 100 kg of shelled almonds between January and August 2024 to about 120 euros in 2025, with peaks of 138 euros in June,” argues the organizationwhich ensures that varieties such as Marcona, Largueta and Comuna have seen their prices rise from 15 to 25%. It’s not no surprise if we take into account that the almond has reached values not seen since 2019. CaixaBank remember that frosts and droughts have marked the harvest of recent campaigns, affecting prices. If in the 2024-2025 season farmers received an average of 5.6 euros per kilo of communal almonds (the cheapest), in previous seasons that same value hovered around 4.09 or 2.95 euros per kilo. The change in weather conditions has improved the prospects for the campaign that began in September, but this effect has not yet been noticeable in the 2025/26 Christmas nougat campaign. Almonds… and something else. To be fair, almonds are not the only ingredient that has become more expensive in the last year. He has done it too (and not … Read more

After the fried potato or “moon tread” nougat, comes the only possible conclusion of the industry: nougat for dogs

November 29, 2025 by usatoday24

There was a time when if you went to the supermarket to buy nougat you could choose between soft and hard, chocolate, toasted yolk, almonds or maybe (if you were lucky) caramel. The offer was more or less limited, as was the ability of the nougat makers to surprise us. Not today. In recent years the sector has launched experiment with flavors as unexpected as ham, potatoes, wine or mojito, between a long (lengthy) etc. of flavors and textures. Now that spiral of experimentation has led one of the best-known companies in Spain to go one step further and sell nougat for pets. Nougat for dogs? Nougats for dogs. That is the bet that just launched Confectionary Holdingthe company behind such well-known Christmas dessert brands as 1880, Doña Jimena or El Lobo. In the midst of fever nougat experimentation (a phenomenon that dates back several years) the firm has decided to go one step further and take risks in a different way. Their bet is not only looking for new flavors or textures, but also for a different audience than usual: pets. Hence, its catalog has just expanded with a line of Polvorones and Nougats made specifically for dogs. The sweets can be consulted now at the web from El Lobo, where 85 gram nougat tablets are sold for 4.99 euros, the same price as the 120 g box of Polvorones. And what are they like? The company has launched three products. Two varieties of nougat crunchymade with coconut or carrot, and some arrozrones based on rice. In all three cases, the company insists that the snacks are cooked with natural ingredients, do not include added sugars and (in the case of nougat) are designed with a crunchy texture designed precisely for dogs. Efe precise that they only include a small amount of honey and that the packages specify the amount that each dog can ingest, depending on its size. But… Why? Because, says Rubén LópezCEO of Confectionary Holding, during Christmas “we get together with friends and relatives and the pets are part of the family.” The idea is simple: transfer the experience of parties and Christmas sweets to the pet market, a niche that other companies in the sector have been exploring for some time. The Wolf may have just tried his luck now (marketing started in October), but there are specialized companies that already sell panettones for dogs, wet food cans for cats decorated with Christmas designs or special nougats for pets. The striking thing is that one of the most popular traditional nougat manufacturers in Spain is now exploring this line of business. How have you done it? The idea, López emphasizes, is that the consumption experience is “as humane as possible”. For this purpose, the company has resorted to a very recognizable format: 80 g tablets, pre-cut and which can be purchased both in pet stores and in supermarkets. Previously, the company had to spend two years developing the product, between studies and formulations, together with veterinarians. He has also had to do pedagogy in the sector. Recently José Manuel Sirvent, president of the Confectionary Holding group, recognized that the throwing of the nougat pet friendly It has been one of the most complicated decisions he has made throughout his career. The other was to dedicate itself to the manufacture of private labels. “It’s not very orthodox,” admits the manager about the new pet treat. So unconventional is it, in fact, that Sirvent confesses that the decision has not been liked by part of the traditional sector of Jijona. Does it make sense? S. There are two ways to look at El Lobo’s bet. One is the innovation that the nougat sector is experiencing, which has led manufacturers to explore new flavors and ways to expand their market with an eye on a more select clientele. In recent years this has led him to sell nougats that incorporate such curious ingredients as black beer, plankton, fried potatoes, ham, pine, popcorn or strawberries with gin. The bet doesn’t seem to have gone wrong. With the rising prices of cocoa and eggs as a backdrop, in recent months manufacturers have shared data that suggests an increase in turnover, in line with the rest of the sector. What data? In July the Spanish Sweets Association (Produlce) published a report which reveals that in 2024 all categories of the sector experienced growth in terms of consumption. In its balance sheet, chocolate and cocoa lead the segments (2,106 million euros), followed by cookies (1,428 million), pastries and pastries (€1,310M), baking (€954M), candies and chewing gum (€809M) and nougat and marzipan (€290M). At the beginning of the year, the nougat sector with designation of origin (DO) in Spain, Jijona and Agramunt, also revealed that its sales volume had increased 12% in 2023led by Sanchis Mira and Torrons Vicens. And beyond the nougat sector? That is the other big key. Spain is increasingly a country of pets (even more than babies) and that places the pet food and care sector in a privileged position. Both in our country and in others. According to the Grand View Horizon platform, the global pet care market will exceed the 236.1 billion of dollars thanks to a compound annual growth rate of 5.1%. There are those who believe that the sum will be elderly thanks to the trend of “humanizing” pets. In Spain, the industry dedicated to feeding pets had a turnover of something in 2024 more than 2 billion of euros, 5% more than in 2023. The largest volume of business (around 790 million euros) was generated by sales focused on dogs, which is precisely the niche on which El Lobo has now focused to sell its nougat for pets. Images | Baptist Standaert (Unsplash), DAP, Anfaac and The Wolf In Xataka | We knew that Suchard nougat had become more expensive since 2020, but we did not suspect how much. The reason: redflation

Christmas has revived the specter of redflation and rising prices. And Suchard’s nougat is the bloodiest example

November 6, 2025 by usatoday24

There is still a month and a half until Christmas begins (unless you live in Vigo), but that has not prevented the shelves of supermarkets in half the country from starting to fill with boxes of Polvorones, panettonesalmonds, marzipan and (of course) nougat tablets. With them, however, something else has arrived: the shadow of the reduflationa phenomenon about which OCU and FACUA they have been for years warning and which basically consists of covering up price increases. You go home believing that you have paid the same (or a little more) than last year when in reality, if you do the math, the kg/€ ratio is much higher. It is not a new practice or exclusive to Christmas, but is already giving something to talk about on account of one of the classics of the national holidays: Suchard’s nougat. What has happened? that the platform Fitstore.es has done an interesting experiment that is generating intense debate. Basically, he has dedicated himself to analyzing the evolution of Suchard chocolate nougat bars between 2020 and 2025, which allowed him to detect two apparently opposing trends: we are paying much more money in exchange for much less product. To be more precise, FITstore ensures that the tablet has gone from costing €2.99 in 2020 to the current €4.99almost 70% more. On some websites, such as Alcampocan be found for less, but that (€4.99) is the sale price in chains like Carrefour, Day either Eroski. The striking thing is that tablets do not weigh the same today as they did five years ago, when they were cheaper. In fact they have decreased. Click on the image to go to the tweet. How have they decreased? According to the FITstore studioIn 2023, Suchard chocolate nougat bars went from weighing 260 grams to 230 g, 11.5% less. If you go to a supermarket (we have done the test in Vigo) that is probably the format you are going to find: 230 g tablets. It is not a phenomenon that only the online sales platform has detected. Last year already warned of this ‘bailing’ the Facua association, which explained that although the price of Suchard nougat had not increased (€3.99) the €/kg ratio had gone from 15.35 to 17.35. That is, (sneakily) the product became 13% more expensive. In some stores the tablet was even more expensive. In DAP They explained last year how Suchard nougat, which in 2023 cost €3.67 in Alcampo, had gone to €3.98. And this despite the fact that the product weighed 30 g less. Is it an isolated case? No. Or it wasn’t, at least a year ago, when Facua published an extensive report in which he cited more cases of reduflation between Christmas sweets. Specifically, it spoke of about a dozen articles that applied “significant price increases” taking advantage of a change in design. For example, Dulce Noel black crunchy nougat went from costing €1.85 in Dia stores in October 2023 to €1.99 a year later. An increase of 7.6% that actually hid an increase in prices of 43.4%. The reason? In addition to becoming 14 cents more expensive, the tablet had been reduced by 50 g, going from 200 to 150 g. More or less similar cases, with increases per kilo of up to 52%, could be found in other items from Nestlé, Lindt or the Dia white label. What is the reason for the increase? The million dollar question. The rise in prices of chocolates and nougat can be explained in part by manufacturing costs: in the last year they have become more expensive the energyrents and ingredients such as rice, flour and the eggs. However, if there is a product that has seen its price skyrocket with a key impact on the candy industry, it is chocolate, mired in an international crisis which has directly influenced its price. The CPI gives a good account of this. According to the last data published by the INE (corresponding to September), chocolate has skyrocketed by almost 16% during the last year. Cocoa has increased by 8.5%. These are high percentages, but they also show a relaxation compared to those recorded just a few months ago, when the year-on-year increase in chocolate exceeded 20%. The question remains to what extent cocoa fluctuations are now influencing nougat. What do they say from the sector? At Xataka we have contacted Mondelez International to ask them about the changes in Suchard nougats and, more specifically, about their apparent reduflation. The multinational does not go into details, but remembers that it operates “in an increasingly complex and unstable environment” that forces it to make “adjustments” so as not to “compromise the taste and quality” of the product. “As food manufacturers, we continue to face high costs throughout our supply chain, especially in key ingredients such as cocoa. This makes manufacturing our products significantly more expensive than in the past,” explains the company, which claims to do “everything possible to assume the extra costs.” “However, in such a complex environment, we sometimes have to make carefully considered adjustments to our Suchard range.” The goal, they say, is “to continue offering consumers the chocolate nougat they love, without compromising the great flavor or quality they expect.” “For this reason, and despite the context, we have not altered our recipe, again in order to protect the quality and taste of this iconic Christmas product.” Images | Vitaly Gariev (Unsplash) and Xataka In Xataka | I have made homemade nougat and it is delicious. The problem is the price

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