Kandia Dulce owns one of the two big chocolate factories still in operation in Romania.
“The positive trend of the chocolate market is a good sign of consumption rebound,” Munteanu believes.
This year’s growth comes after a flat market in 2012 and an 8% increase in 2011, with chocolate consumption reaching 2.5 kilos per capita, according to ZF calculations based on the data provided by CAOBISCO, the association of the companies in the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries in the EU. Romania is far behind other European countries, as the average EU citizen eats 6 kilos of chocolate a year.
The increase in consumption also means an increase in imports, which have been covering 60% of the Romania’s chocolate demand in the last few years. Whereas local plants covered 80% of consumption in 2006 and the rest was imported, the percentage is almost reversed now, after the closing of more than 100 chocolate factories.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)