Top Confectionery Food Trends for 2010

Galloping gourmet
Snacks and confections are little pleasures to be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle. There's no finer way to indulge than with one of these gourmet delights. Asher's Chocolates proves that the combination of sweet and salty is as popular as ever with its wonderful Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt. Discover a special Valentine message on every slice of the uniquely indulgent Ferrara Milk Chocolate Strawberry Ball from Ferrera Pan Candy Co. Break into pieces to find special Valentine messages on every slice. Buttery caramel varieties -- Vanilla Pecan Chews and Vanilla Chocolate Pecan Chews are new from Primrose Candy Co. Castachio Nuts from Germack Pistachio Co. adds two great new flavors Zesty Salt & Pepper and Cajun Chili Pepper, to its line of roasted and salted pistachios and cashews, and you can't put the resealable pouch down. Jelly Belly toasts many flavors of cocktails with Jelly Belly Cocktail Classics with new flavors including mojito, peach bellini, and pomegranate cosmopolitan. Primrose Candy debuts Cocktail Taffy in margarita, rum n' cola, mojito, pina colada and strawberry daiquiri. Delightful double filled truffles from Madelaine Chocolate, Duets, use state of the art technology to fill smooth, rich milk chocolate truffles with flavor pairings including peanut butter and caramel and milk truffle and white truffle. Iconic candy maker Wonka, with a little help from Nestlé, introduces a premium line of imaginative and whimsical confections called Wonka Exceptionals that includes the Domed Dark Chocolate Bar, a bed of dark chocolate topped with milk chocolate medallions; the Chocolate Waterfall Bar with a distinct blend of white and milk chocolates; the Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar, featuring pieces of toffee, cookies and peanuts; Wonka Fruit Jellies, soft, sugar-dusted fruit squares; and Wonka Fruit Marvels, a chewy round ball covered with a smooth candy shell.

Fresh 'n fruity
Bursting on the scene with fresh and powerful flavors are candies and gums in show-stopping varieties. American Licorice Co. introduces Grape Vines, for a unique flavor alternative. Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome Chews from The Hershey Co. combine two bold, intense flavors with two unique textures in each bite-size piece featuring sweet watermelon surrounded by green apple and juicy cherry filled with refreshing orange. Get swept away by the tropical fruit flavors of great tasting, long lasting Extra Fruit Sensations Sweet Tropical gum from Wrigley. Big Sky Brands delivers Sunkist Citrus Burst, fruit flavors in the form of a sugar-free mint. Inspired by Sunkist's specialty citrus varietals, the include Valencia orange, ruby red grapefruit, eureka lemon and key lime. Two other flavor-packed products from Wrigley are expected to make waves this summer: Starburst Summer Fun Fruits in kiwi-banana, lemon-limeade, cherry splash and watermelon; and Skittles Fizzl'd Fruits, fizzling fun for your mouth in wild cherry and melon berry. The unique flavors of goji berry and cloudberry join classic blueberry and raspberry in Wonka's Squishy Splooshberries, a juice-filled gummy candy, from Nestlé. Straight out of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" comes Stride Shift thanks to a new technology from Cadbury North America. This amazing flavor-changing gum starts off tasting like citrus or melon and shifts into mint.

FUNctional options
Vitaball's vitamingum is sugar-free and equals the nutrition available in two 20-oz bottles of nutrient-enhanced water. If you are energy deprived, a great new option is Kickbutt amped energy ballz from Fun Energy Foods. Each one contains caffeine equivalent to a half cup of coffee with the added benefit of protein and vitamins. Cadbury North America's Dentyne Pure is the first in the gum category with NeutraFresh, an exclusive ingredient that neutralizes bad breath.

Dark and dreamy
Dark chocolate has been increasing in popularity for years and new product introductions have played a big part in the expansion of the category. Driving chocolate sales in 2009 is the "affordable indulgence" factor. This year look for Kit Kat Dark, a combination of dark chocolate and light crispy layers, from The Hershey Co., a delicious combination of smooth dark chocolate and light, crispy wafers. Wolfgang Eves from the Wolfgang Candy Co. also will please the cookie lover with their buttery cookie and dark chocolate creations such as the Raspberry Truffle. The layer of delightfully dark chocolate covering Necco's new Clark Bar Dark, from New England Confectionery Co., will make you take a new look at this classic American candy. The unique crunchy sweetness of caramelized pistachio chips sets Kraft's Cote d'Or Pistache Noir dark chocolate (70 percent) bar apart from anything you've ever tasted. Nestle's Dark Chocolate Cherry Raisinets are made from premium, whole dried cherries from Michigan, drenched in rich Nestlé dark chocolate - a mouthwatering combination that is both sweet and creamy while also juicy and tangy. And if the economy has been tough on you, B & R Classics offers Golkenn Goldbar, a miniature replica of the real 12.5kg gold bars stored in Swiss bank vaults – eat your heart out.

For the kiddies
Candy Dynamics presents Toxic Waste Short Circuits Bubble Gum, bite-sized gum pieces filled with ultra sour powder. Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Rex join Pez Candy Inc.'s character dispensers in anticipation of Toy Story 3. You don't have to hesitate to give your young lads the Dare Devils Extreme Sour Candy Death Drool and Hissee Fit Snake Spray, in a snake shaped bottle from Foreign Candy Co. it's actually quite sweet, and comes in cherry, green apple and blue raspberry flavors.