Let them eat candy
I have been reading the various reports from Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago – to look out for interesting developments since our preview in the May issue of Sweets & Snacks Europe and see what angles journalists come from when covering the show.
The Chicagoist reported on the best and worst of the show and was apparently pleased to see that last year’s trend for energy candy has calmed down. It noted that the trend towards healthy candy and particularly noted two examples of a mix between the two – Zips Energy Seeds, which are caffeinated Sunflower Seeds and Sleep Squares, chocolate that helps you sleep.
Here in the UK, the Independent newspaper’s report focused on gourmet snacks and wine-flavoured chocolates in particular. 2 Chicks with Chocolate did win the Best New Concept and Product award and its Merlot Bon Bon and Cabernet Caramel are sold online. I am making it my mission to track some down. The Independent report stated, “Consumers can expect to see more snack foods and sweets that layer multiple, complex and sometimes unexpected flavours. Combinations like chilli and mint-flavoured sweets, dual-filling truffles and gourmet, artisanal flavours like cracked pepper and Asiago cheese-flavoured crisps.”
However, my favourite Sweets & Snacks Expo article came from a different angle. Entitled ‘The death of Candy’, Samira Kawash’ piece in The Atlantic blasted the health trend, natural ingredients and vitamin enrichments and called for defenders of candy to unite. She said, “Let us disavow the slippery logic of “nutritional snacking”, which justifies the expansion of the processed food market with the tools and rhetoric of nutrition. Non-nutrition and pleasure is what is special, fun and unique about candy.”
I like her stance and believe that the industry, retailers and consumers that love our products should stand up for and be proud of confectionery and snacks, as people did at ConTech 2011 in Australia when traffic light labelling reared its head. Saying that, I still quite like natural ingredients to be used in confectionery and always welcome playful innovation, with or without vitamins, but I can certainly see her point!
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Thanks, Katrine Kjoeller
Editor
Sweets & Snacks Europe
