Mars scored a promotional tie-in that should rake in the doubloons by pairing its new white chocolate M&Ms with the summer sizzler “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”
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Portion control is the new buzzword, and confectionery is no exception. Options include Hershey Sticks (60 calories), a product of Hershey’s Center for Health and Nutrition, Masterfoods’ Nestle Stixx (90 calories), Whitman’s Weight Watchers candy (less than 50 calories) and Sugar Free Dove Dark (38 calories).
Pumping up products on the wellness front, Simply Lite Foods’ Sunkist Fruit Gummies and Welch’s Fruit Snacks are both made with natural fruit juices and contain 100 percent of the daily recommendation of vitamin C. Brach’s Mott’s Fruit Snacks contain real applesauce, and Botticelli Belgian Choco-Omeg incorporates omega-3s. Still a small slice of the $27 billion U.S. market, fortified candy “is definitely the one to watch right now,” says Susan Fusel, spokesman for NCA. The skinny is Wrigley soon will roll out Airwaves Active, enhanced gum for the immune system.
Energy infused treats kept attendees running. They included HydraTech Innovations Diablo Ice, energizing breath strips with guarana and the boost of an energy drink, new flavors of Jelly Belly Sports Beans infused with electrolytes and Shock Coffee’s chocolate-covered coffee beans.
Cool new options in gum include Sathers Super Bubble Blast (chewy outside and liquid center) and Ford Gum and Machine Co.’s Pomegranate Power. Topps has a new softer formulation for Bazooka that delivers larger bubbles and more intense flavor. Wrigley’s Eclipse Big E-Pak is 60 pellets of gum in a portable package that fits in the beverage container in your car. Gum Runners’ Nutra-Trim gum curbs your appetite, and Cadbury Adam’s Stride claims to be “the ridiculously long lasting gum.” Masterfoods’ Skittles Extreme Fruit Bubble Gum, a bold combination of fruit flavors, and Trident (six sweet and six sour pieces), both allow you to customize your chew.
Another mantra was bursting with flavor, especially sour ones. Altoids Mango Sours, Sour Jacks, Toxic Waste Sour Chew Bar, Masterfoods’ Starburst Sour and Topps Juicy Drop Pop Sweet all were lip-puckering good. Licorice is hot in cool new flavors including Lucky Country’s Pineapple and Green Apple and formats like American Licorice’s Sip & Chew Straws. Spitz Sunflower Seeds are now available in chili-lime, smoky and pickle flavors. Snickers Xtreme, without nougat, but with more caramel, peanuts and chocolate, debuted in the caramel category, along with Kit-Kat Crisp Wafers filled with caramel (coming in November). Among the products catering to the Hispanic market are King Henry’s Chili Lemon Peanuts and Bota-Nice’s Roasted Lima Beans/Lemon & Chili with a free packet of hot sauce.
Kids will be delirious when they sample Nestle’s interactive Wonka Zoid, a combo video game and candy dispenser; Candy Logs – build a house and eat it; Tung Toos – tasty tattoos for the tongue; Monster Memos – kids can eat their words with sweetened wafer paper and food coloring pens; and Fear Factor’s Cockroach Bites.
The piece de resistance for attendees is a trip to the Candy Room, replete with barrels of candy. Armed with a 9-by-7-in. bag, you can fill it with all your favorite candy with one caveat; it cannot spill over the top -- serious business, requiring engineering skills and a good eye for detail.
