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
Dairy and wheat are the most common restrictions candymaker Hanson Watkins sees among her customers. The Indie Candy founder makes kid- and adultfriendly treats, from gummies to truffles, PHOTO: INDIE CANDY in a dedicated big 8 allergen–free facility. TruSweets' Surf Sweets line is free of the big 8 too, plus sesame and sulfites. For dangerous, even life-threatening, allergies, the extra steps reassure shoppers armed with a bevy of concerns. "We get a lot of questions about ingredients and where they're derived from," says Bert Cohen, TruSweets' founder and president. "A lot of consumers want to know the manufacturing facilities, as well as packaging facilities." "People have very specific questions—everything under the sun," says Van Hee, who recalls one customer asking about the origin of the trace alcohol in a vanilla extract because of a corn sensitivity, one ingredient aversion that both Van Hee and Watkins see growing. Corn-free products have been driving sales at indiecandy .com, Watkins notes. "It's corn-free down to the level of 'What is your citric acid produced from?'" she says. One benefit of customers' newfound attentiveness to ingredients is an almost inevitable interest in all ingredients, beyond allergens. "They start to become interested for other reasons," such as overall healthfulness and transparency, Van Hee explains. Watkins believes the potential for the allergen-free market is just beginning. "For forever, there were no allergen-free products. You couldn't buy a packaged product unless you were rolling the dice," she says. And while the lifestyle set—those who choose their dietary specifications—may move on to the next big trend (the paleo diet, Watkins predicts), "there are a lot of people that have just been diagnosed in the last few years, and those people are always going to need these products." Value~Priced Organic Teas for Health & Vitality • • • • Organic Vegan Fair Trade Gluten Free Natural, Great Tasting, Affordable favor-friendly teas formulated to improve well-being and vitality Sip and be well! Latino friendly Bi-lingual packaging 800-838-2346 to order http://LifestyleAwarenessTeas.com On the Brink Some niche dietary markets have the potential to expand, while one movement could change the food industry landscape as we know it. Vegan and Raw. While most tend to come from smaller companies, such as Go Max Go, Hey Boo, Mama Ganache and Sjaaks, Van Hee says, many retailers carry vegan offerings, as interest is growing. "We've made an effort for more of our products to be vegan," Watkins says of Indie Candy's selection. The latest addition to the Surf Sweets line, Fruit Rings in peach and watermelon, are vegan as SEPTEMBER 2013 49