Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165618
candy counter SUPERSTAR SWEETS MAKERS These producers created their lines, with the goal of making sweets that just about everyone can eat. Indie Candy. Natural, allergen-free candy is the mission of this 4-year-old company with a dedicated big 8–free facility. Gummies are the year-round top seller, and seasonal confections shine around the holidays, like 2012 sofi Finalist Jackie Lanterns. Quality and broad appeal aid the company's success, says president and CEO Hanson Watkins, who has a severe gluten intolerance and other ingredient sensitivities. "A lot of our products we sell in gourmet stores, and it doesn't have anything to do with allergens. It's just a cute package and a nice product," she explains. Toffee is the latest offering, available in six flavors, such as fleur de sel and (non-alcoholic) black Russian. indiecandy.com Torie & Howard. Dietary changes inspired this company's namesake founders to create a candy that was satisfyingly indulgent while catering to their respective needs: low-calorie and gluten-free. "Our largest challenge was creating a candy that had a sophisticated, real-fruit flavor," says Torie Burke. "We knew that we did not want any artificial flavors or colors." In 2010, the pair launched a line of certified Naturalcandystore.com co-founder Dawn Van Hee chalks it up to recent scientific and marketing revelations. Studies finding evidence of a link between food-coloring consumption and hyperactivity in children led to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending the removal of artificial colors and preservatives from the diets of ADHD-symptomatic children. "Your average consumer is much more aware about the issues with artificial colors," Van Hee says. In a recent consumer survey her company conducted, 36 percent of respondents indicated going dye-free in the past year, higher than any other dietary change. Naturalcandystore.com sells only sweets free of artificial ingredients, but customers are still learning what that means. "There's some education and a learning curve that'll take a few years." Artificial sweeteners are another embattled ingredient, giving rise to such alternatives as honey, fruit juice and coconut sugar, Van Hee says, which her survey respondents indicated as top picks for natural sweeteners. In fact, she notes, agave, lauded in recent years for its own natural status, has lost appeal. Some suppliers have begun using tapioca syrup—Bequet Confections and Hammond's Candies among them. Kate Collier, co-founder of Feast, a specialty retailer in Charlottesville, Va., has found fans in another kind of natural sweetener: fig. "We have had a good number of requests for fig-based items," Collier says, pointing to the popular new Matiz Pecado Chocolate & Fig Bar, which is also gluten-free and non-GMO. "We just found that at the Fancy Food Show, and it's been a big hit." organic, jewel-colored candies. At 12 calories a piece, treats feature such flavors as D'anjou pear and cinnamon, and pink grapefruit and tupelo honey. The elegant colors come from the likes of red cabbage, purple carrots and black currants. torieandhoward.com TruSweets. Using a dedicated facility free of 10 common allergens, TruSweets offers two product lines, Surf Sweets and TruJoy Sweets, that are organic and non-GMO verified. "Basically, better-for-you, clean candy that virtually anybody can eat," says founder and president Bert Cohen. Best sellers include gummy bears, gummy worms, jelly beans and seasonal items, the latest of which is a gummy holiday mix. New Fruit Rings in peach and watermelon are vegan Stricter Standards Choice is a beautiful thing, but for a growing number of Americans, dietary restrictions are a health necessity. Suppliers are fielding questions from individuals who, or whose children, have been newly diagnosed with allergies or ingredient sensitivities. More producers are committing to using facilities and processes dedicated to eliminating any risk of cross-contamination to offer risk-free options. Some, like Simply Nut Free Chocolates, focus on avoiding one or more major allergens, while a handful of others, such as Indie Candy and TruSweets, have fully eliminated the "big 8" allergens as identified by the Food and Drug Administration: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. too. "I've got a mom who has some pretty severe food and sensitivities a In a naturalcandystore.com survey of candy shoppers, 36 percent of respondents indicated going dye-free in the past year, higher than any other dietary change. daughter who's got a peanut allergy," Cohen shares. "So we live it and breathe it here." trusweets.com PHOTO: TRUSWEETS 48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com