Minis are big. Milky Way, Snickers, Twix and 3 Musketeers, all from Mars, are not new inventions, but their poppable bite-sized versions are. So are Starburst Minis from Mars subsidiary Wrigley. Hershey's York Minis (small versions of the Peppermint Patties) was named most innovative new product at the show. In most cases, minis sold in multi-portion bags, which means maxi profits and volumes.
Energy, a trend in several food categories and especially in beverages, has some devotees in the candy category. Energems from NRG Innovations look like M&Ms but they contain caffeine, B vitamins and a "proprietary energy blend."
Healthy? Hershey had that in mind back in 2011 when it bought Brookside Foods, with its line of acai, goji and other "superfruit"-based chocolates. But the big chocolate company has been backing off the superfruit claim recently when it was shown those products were flavored to taste like acai, goji, etc., but contained little or none of the exotic superfruits. Mars made some substantial noise back in 2005 when it clinically proved the flavanols in especially darker chocolates had heart-healthy properties -- but that company, too, has muted that marketing message lately.
Responding to those trends sometimes means that adjustments need to be made to formulations of even popular candy products.
Creating confections that are lower in fats or sugar can be a challenge, especially when consumers expect those products to still taste great, says Aida Prenzno, director of technology, Gum Technology, Tucson, Ariz., a business unit of Penford Food Ingredients.
“Hydrocolloids provide texture in applications where fats or sugars are reduced,” Prenzno says. “They provide mouthfeel and help to create a confection that is pleasant to eat. In addition, most hydrocolloids have a clean label and are mainly composed of dietary fiber.
“In low-calorie confections, the texture that sugar and fat provide is often lacking. Incorporating a gum can help build the desired texture back. For example, carrageenan can be used in reduced-fat caramels to provide creamy mouthfeel and consistency. Gums are usually used at low levels and they do not mask flavors.”
The National Confectioners Association, which sponsors the Sweets and Snacks Expo, says attendance at the Chicago show hit a record level this year, more than 16,000 attendees. There were more than 650 exhibitors of candy, snack and gourmet products from 23 countries.
