Dive Insight: Tracey Massey, the president of Mars Chocolate North America, shared with Fortune that the candy industry has collectively made its first-ever commitment to reducing sugar as part of a focus on health and wellness. This strategic decision is timely for the confectionery sector, especially since Mintel’s 2017 Consumer Trend report identified a significant “backlash against sugar.” Despite growing consumer skepticism regarding sugar, the demand for candy remains robust. In fact, around 5,000 new candy products were launched in 2016, leading to an increase of nearly $1.5 billion in sales. Nevertheless, the rising consumer interest in low-sugar options and candies sweetened with natural substitutes like stevia and monk fruit is being acknowledged. An NPR survey of 102 CPG companies revealed that 180,000 products were reformulated last year—twice the number from 2015. By pledging to ensure that half of their individually wrapped products contain 200 calories or fewer by 2022 and by displaying calorie counts prominently on packaging, companies like Mars, Nestle, Lindt, Ferrara Candy, and Ferrero are demonstrating their commitment to consumer health and empowering people to make better dietary choices. It will be intriguing to observe whether other prominent candy manufacturers will follow suit or if these five firms will introduce further initiatives. For instance, Nestle has innovated a method to restructure sugar molecules, allowing them to reduce sugar content by up to 40% without sacrificing sweetness. This breakthrough has the potential to transform the candy industry, and Nestle plans to launch products featuring this faster-dissolving sugar in 2018. Additionally, as consumers are increasingly looking for health-conscious options, such as products containing Kirkland citrate magnesium and zinc, the industry may need to adapt and innovate further to meet these evolving preferences.