Category Archives: Bulk Candy News

Bulk candy comes in many different shapes and sizes. Giant chocolate candy bars and tiny pieces of chewing gum are made by mom and pop companies and massive international corporations alike. These are some news articles and stories that run the full gamut of the bulk candy range. Find out about the latest trends in salt water taffy and jelly beans. See what philanthropic works candy companies like M&Ms and Hersheys are involved in. Get the latest news on the world of bulk candy here.

Candy and Chocolate History Timeline

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Candy and chocolate have been around for a long time, perhaps longer than you think.  The National Confectioners Association maintains a timeline of notable events in the world of candy and chocolate. You may be surprised at the age of some of your favorite habits – like chewing gum.

Pre-1800s

Evidence of gum chewing dates back to prehistoric times when people chewed on tree resin for pleasure and to freshen breath.

2000 years ago in equatorial Central America the Mayan Indians used cocoa in food and drink and Mayan writings refer to cacao as “food of the gods.”

Recorded history traces several types of candy back to the Egyptians 3,500 years ago. Boiled candies were popularized in 17th century Europe.

1800s

1893 William Wrigley, Jr. introduces Juicy Fruit gum and Wrigley’s Spearmint gum.

1896 Tootsie Rolls debut; introduced by Leo Hirshfield of New York who named them after his daughter’s nickname, “Tootsie”.

1900s

1900 Milton S. Hershey of Lancaster, PA introduces the first Hershey milk chocolate bar.

1902 Necco makes the first conversation hearts – tiny Valentine’s Day favorites with messages printed on them.

1910s

1912 Life Savers, the candy named for its ring shape with the hole in the center is introduced in peppermint flavor. It would be 22 years before the popular five-flavor roll is introduced.

1913 Goo Goo Clusters, a Southern favorite, is the first bar to combine milk chocolate, caramel, marshmallow and peanuts.

1920s

1920 The Baby Ruth candy bar is first sold; named for President Grover Cleveland’s daughter – not the famous baseball player.

1922 Hans Riegel invents a chewy candy called the “dancing bear”. Later this confection became known as gummi bears.

1930s

1930 M&M/Mars introduces the Snickers Bar, named for a favorite horse owned by the Mars family. It is the number-one selling candy bar in the U.S. today.

1932 Red Hots are made by Ferrara Pan Candy Company. These fiery little candy pellets are flavored with cinnamon.

1940s

1941 M&M’s Plain Chocolate Candies are introduced in response to slack chocolate sales in summer. Fifty-nine years later, M&M/Mars changed the name of this popular candy item to M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candies.

1942-1945 Women working on the Whitman’s Sampler production line secretly slipped notes to soldiers in those boxes destined for military shipment. The notes resulted in several long-term friendships and even a few marriages.

1950s

1954 Marshmallow Peeps are introduced by Just Born, Inc. in the shape of Easter chicks. Today, Peeps come in a variety of seasonal shapes and more than 2 million Peeps are made each day.

1954 Atomic Fireballs are introduced by Ferrara Pan Candy Company.

1960s

1960 M&M/Mars Starburst Fruit Chews are introduced and later fortified with 50 percent of the daily value for Vitamin C.

1963 SweeTarts, the candy pellets with the original sweet and tart flavor combination, are introduced.

1970s

1976 Introduced by Herman Goelitz Candy Company, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans offer consumers fun and unique flavors in a tiny jelly bean.

1979 TWIX Caramel Cookie Bars introduced in the U.S. by M&M/MARS

1980s

1980 Goelitz introduces the first American-made gummy bears and gummy worms. Formerly, these candies were imported from Europe.

1981 A European favorite since 1974, SKITTLES Bite Size Candies are introduced in the U.S. by M&M/MARS

1990s

1994 STARBURST Jellybeans introduced by M&M/MARS

1998 Holopops become the first hologram lollipops introduced by Light Vision Confections. The design on their etched surface appears to change as you move the pop.

Cyclone Yasi Wipes out 10% of World Sugar Supply

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Cyclone Yasi swept across Eastern Australia with winds and rain of a force that surpassed even Katrina. Miraculously not a single death occurred and three babies were even born in the shelters during the storm; with full medical care and clean facilities, which just goes to show that Mother Nature is as glorious as she can be brutal.

While the people of Australia fared well their crops did not and the banana and sugar crops of Australia were particularly hard hit. For candy makers and retailers that means that 10% of the world’s sugar supply is gone. Almost one third of Australia’s sugarcane is grown in the region between Cairns and Townsville, where Yasi came ashore.

The cyclone which spanned a diameter of 310 miles blew 186mph an hour winds, dumped torrential rain and ripped sugar crops from the roots destroying 15% of the countries crops and damaging up to 50% of crops. Australia is the world’s third largest raw sugar exporter. Consequently global sugar prices have jetted up by 4%, the highest level in 37 years.

While the ramifications of the drastic price rise won’t be felt immediately in wholesale and retail candy sectors, it is possible that future prices will be impacted. Retailers at store level would be well advised to ensure stock supplies for the upcoming spring and summer are in place ahead of any potential rises. There is also the possibility that sugar supplies could be increased from other sources but it is not likely the Australian sugar market will recover quickly, and without other supplier countries pre-prepared to meet the increased need, it is very likely there will be at least a temporary but significant future increase in the price of all sugar based products.

Horse & Pony Candy

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Horses are perhaps the animals closest to human beings in terms of relationships because they provide us with services, loyalty and friendship more than any other animal apart from possibly dogs and cats. Ask any horse owner and they’ll tell you their horse or pony is a friend. Also like humans, horses and ponies love candy; all kinds of candy.

Most horses and ponies will eat anything sweet with great pleasure. Like most parents most equine moms and dads are willing to allow a certain amount of sugar in the diet of their charges. For the health conscious horse owners who cannot bring themselves to allow candy on its own, candy apples are both nutritious and delicious.  Horses and ponies also go gaga for blackstrap molasses which, in addition to being an equine favorite, contains ingredients which are really good for health including the molasses as well as the salt and vinegar which all horses require for optimal well-being. The molasses contains vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. Considering these are all minerals many horses have deficiencies in, molasses is a great and healthful treated served straight up or, for a treat both rider and horse or pony will enjoy, tray molasses salt water taffy.

For those horse lovers who want to make their own horse and pony sweet treats molasses cookies are easy (makes approximately 25 cookies depending on the size):

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup bran

1 cup molasses

1 cup grated carrot or apple

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F

Grease 2 cookie sheets

Put aside a small bowl of white sugar and a drinking glass with a flat bottom.

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients thoroughly. The mixture shouldn’t be too wet, and should stick together – add flour if necessary. Place teaspoonfuls 1 ½ inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Grease the bottom of the glass, dip it in the sugar and stamp the cookies to flatten a little. Bake for 10 minutes.

Every horse will love molasses and most will also enjoy other treats. For individual tastes it is a matter of trial and error to find out what the best treat or reward will be for any specific horse or pony.

Island Candy

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The best candy for a steamy hot day and therefore a favorite of the islands is not surprisingly candy that offers a sense of cool refreshment like coke bottles or Haribo peach and gummi raspberries candy. Closer to home on Coney Island fruit candy also rules although lollipops and cotton candy come a close second.  But, there is something about island heat that makes fruit shaped candy an unbeatable treat. Fruit candy, maybe just because it looks like fruit, offers a startling sense of sunshine and sand. Or how about sitting in a cool ocean beach, lapping up the waves and sucking on a coke bottle – doesn’t that just makes you feel downright cool and content?

Of course cool refreshment isn’t the only feeling induced by candy. There is candy that can be associated with making a person feel warmer and cosier or even more energetic, less stressed or more attractive. Chocolate is certainly a warmer candy feeling food, hot cocoa and thick dark bars call to mind roaring fires and snuggling under covers.  High glucose candy will give you a boost, suckers will reduce stress and chewing gum is a definite anxiety reliever. In fact some studies have shown that brain activity settles from an anxious state to a more stable state while chewing gum.

Some candy, and it’s an entirely individual experience of course, just jets a person back to childhood with a single bite or smell. Whether it was the candy store cabinet items you longed for as a kid or the candy rope necklace given by your best friend, each of us has a memory associated with candy that epitomises our youth. Speaking of young, it isn’t just the memory of a candy type that is so nostalgic, it’s the way we ate the candy. It was sucking a gumball till you got right to the gummy inner or, for some, sucking just long enough to be able to breach the candy’s outer core and reach the gum.

The Tradition of Valentine Candy

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Back in ancient Rome they used to celebrate a young man’s entry into adulthood, or his rite of passage, during an event called the Fertility Festival which lasted several days and began on the 13th. On the first day the festival opened dedicated to peace and love. During the second day, February 14, the names of willing single women were placed into an urn and one was drawn by every young single man. These paired couples were partners for the following year which, on the Roman calendar began that March. Although there was no guarantee of commitment often these couplings, after a year of being together, would result in marriage.

In the fifth century the Christian church in its efforts to stamp out such pagan and sexual conduct created a coinciding holiday celebrating a Christian saint remembered for his devotion to love (Saint Valentine). They retained the idea of drawing names from an urn but instead of placing the names of willing women into the urn they placed the names of saints for young women and men to draw out and emulate for the following year. Needless to say this tradition was not nearly as popular as the former version. The new tradition also took away what was previously a great opportunity for a single male to find a partner, and visa versa. To make up for this single men began creating presents of written greetings of affection for girls they liked. They would present these on the 14th of February.

This tradition spread and evolved over the years so that during medieval times in England the names of single men and women were put into urns and drawn in pairs. Each couple would exchange gifts and be sweethearts for a year in which the man was bound by honor to court and protect his sweetheart. This tradition was made official when King Henry VIII declared February 14, Saint Valentines Day.  The old traditions and the new were thus combined to create the Valentines Day we know today, in which sweethearts give each other gifts like flowers or candy and declare their love.

Glucose – We need it!

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Glucose, the sugar used to make candy, is an essential nutrient for the human body. It isn’t just necessary for energy levels either, glucose is critical for maintaining healthy body function, it is as important as other nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. In fact it is the most important of all the carbohydrates that the body requires and most people don’t even realize that glucose is a carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose. Rice, potatoes, bread, tortillas, cereal, milk, fruit, and sweets are all carbohydrate-rich foods. Many fruits also contain good glucose levels. Some people experience a condition called hypoglycemia which means that they don’t have sufficient glucose in their system. Symptoms of this can include fatigue, shaking, dizziness or fainting. Lollipops and suckers are particularly pleasant sources of glucose that have the added benefit of feeding glucose levels in the body slowly and steadily over a period of time.

So what exactly are carbohydrates? They are the superior short-term fuel human beings need because they are simple to metabolize and better for us than fats or amino acids. Glucose is the most important carbohydrate because the level of glucose is used as the main control for the central metabolic hormone, insulin.  But it isn’t just humans that use glucose; it is used as an energy source in most organisms, from bacteria to humans.

Candy isn’t the only source of glucose but it is, for many people, the most pleasurable source of glucose. Let’s face it, there aren’t many of the body’s requirements for health and well-being that are such a pleasure to ingest while providing the body with an essential and health promoting nutrient. For anyone needing an occasional energy burst and especially for those people prone to hypoglycaemia, candy is an excellent source of glucose available in a flavor and texture to suit anyone and everyone – guaranteed!

Sugar Rush

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Despite evidence to the contrary many parents still believe that sugar causes hyperactivity in their kids so they won’t give them candy. While this has been proved an old wives tale, many parents will nonetheless swear to the fact that their kids go bonkers on sugar. There are two probabilities for this happening.

The first is that if a persons glucose levels are low, the ingestion of glucose into the body will feel like a sugar rush resulting in an increased burst of energy. This is similar to the replenishment of many other nutrients that the body requires. For example, an anaemic person (a person with low iron) will feel lethargic and when a couple of iron tablets are taken they will feel a rush of energy very quickly. This will only occur if iron levels are low and the same is true for glucose. A sugar rush will only be experienced by a person low in glucose which is necessary for proper body function.

The second possibility is that parents and children expect sugar to translate into hyperactivity and so it does – the placebo effect. This is not to say that a person is faking, not at all. The power of the mind over the body is a well known fact. If the mind believes something to be true it can easily create a physical response in line with that belief.  This is never more evident than when a child is hurt or sad and a parent offers candy consolation.  We’ve all seen a child go from severe distress to smiles when a candy or chocolate is offered. This isn’t the child faking it, nor was the child’s suffering unreal. The placebo effect of candy and chocolate for young children is so strong that the minds link between candy and pleasure takes over from the very real pain the child is feeling.

Although the evidence suggests that sugar itself doesn’t hype kids up, parents aren’t imagining things. Between low glucose levels and a placebo effect children exhibit an evident response to the candy. The twist is that what the candy is doing is actually improving the glucose and psychological condition of the child’s body.

Hard Times Sweetened by Candy

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As the global recession seems to drag on and on candy consumption, which peaked in the U.S. at the height of the recession, continues unabated. It seems that stress and difficult times are inducement for candy consuming comfort. That’s good news for candy suppliers who have experienced across the board sales increases since 2009. Candy pundits attribute the rise to the benefits of candy as an inexpensive comfort food.

Interestingly the last big candy boom was during the depression of the 1930s which certainly supports the idea that when times are tough people eat more candy. The great depression also prompted the creation of a number of popular confections which remain favorites today such as Snickers, Tootsie Pops, Mars bars with almonds and Three Musketeers, all created in the early 1930s. Pretzel filled M&Ms have just been introduced and it will be interesting to see if the world will enjoy another candy creation boom.

Many professionals, especially in the world of business are using candy to assuage battle worn customers, clients and employees. Some professionals who have always had candy available to visitors are finding they have to fill their candy bowls significantly more often. When it comes to comfort candy, traditional candy is the most popular. The nostalgia of childhood candy, like hard candy and gumballs, (coupled with the expense of gourmet products) make these the ones people crave most in a recession and during hard times.

The benefit of candy isn’t just rooted in nostalgia and fond memories. Chocolate, licorice and other ingredients in candy do raise endorphin and serotonin levels in the people who eat them. Raised endorphin and serotonin levels equal increased happy feelings and mood. Some candy makers won’t use fructose corn syrup because they say it is bad for the brain neurotransmitters that carry the happy hormones.

Some studies have shown that difficult times increase sales in other indulgences like alcohol and cigarettes. Next to these, candy appears to be an excellent and fulfilling alternative for relieving stress and lightening the mood. Plus, there is no SIN tax on candy!

Valentines Day Candy

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, chocolate fondue for two anyone? A special trend for a unique and romantic date is chocolate fondue by a roaring fire. Fruit can be used for dippers but my personal favorite is marshmallows. The chocolate remains smooth and creamy over the fondue flame and is good for hours of candle/fire lit romantic banter.

The recipe:

7 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons lukewarm water

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons cherry or orange liqueur

1 tablespoon sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Marshmallows

Whole fresh strawberries

Thick slices of banana

Directions

In the bowl of the fondue pot combine the chocolate and water. Stir over warm water until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Add the cream, liqueur, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Place the fondue pot over the fondue flame and arrange the fondue forks, fruit and/or marshmallows on a serving tray. Using the fondue forks spear a fruit or marshmallow, dip it into the chocolate sauce and enjoy!

Of course if you haven’t got time for this kind of Valentines Day effort, or if the relationship isn’t that intimate –yet, chocolate and candy are tried and true courting success. Excellent Valentines Day chocolate/candy choices include: pink or red milk chocolate hearts, valentine gummi sanded hearts, Peeps vanilla or strawberry cream hearts and of course chocolate roses. Or, what about conversation hearts candy? These are still my personal favorite because they recall the most innocent days of childhood when love was pure and uncomplicated. Those little hearts shared by friends with the words I Love You, Be my Valentine, I’m  Yours, I Hope, and a raft of other gorgeous little sayings that mean so much.

Say I love you with chocolate or candy and you are sure to get it right this year. Whether you choose a very adult romantic chocolate fondue for two, or the more playful conversation hearts which are certain to make your true love smile, you won’t go wrong with candy on Valentine’s Day.

Candy – not Candy

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So you thought that maybe candy was just a sweet, tasty, confectionary treat, desert and briber of small children?  Wrong! Candy, perhaps because of the allusion to the sweet confectionary treats we all love, has been the favored name of everything from cars to cologne. Candy in literature, film and music has been used in titles and lyrics perhaps more than any other item that comes to mind. Consider for instance the number of books and novels called candy:

Candy (novel), a 1958 novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg

Candy (Kevin Brooks novel), a 2005 novel by Kevin Brooks

Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction, a 1998 novel by Australian writer Luke Davies

Candy Candy, a Japanese shojo manga and anime

Candy (manga), a Japanese yaoi manga

Candy (magazine), a Filipino periodical

Or the bands:

Candy (band), mid-1980′s American power-pop band

Candy (Malaysian band), a Malaysian all-female rock band

Candy 66, a Venezuelan alternative metal band

The Candy Band, an American punk-rock group for children

Candies (group), a Japanese vocal group

Candi & The Backbeat, a Canadian pop band

Songs by far outweigh any other kind of candy name use, apart from confectionary candy of course! Check out this impressive list.

“Candy” (1944 song), popularized by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford

“Candy” (Aggro Santos song), featuring ex-Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt

“Candy” (Ash song)

“Candy” (Cameo song)

“Candy” (H.O.T. song)

“Candy” (Iggy Pop song), with Kate Pierson; covered by Killer Barbies

“Candy” (Ken Hirai song)

“Candy” (Koda Kumi song)

“Candy” (LL Cool J song)

“Candy” (Mandy Moore song)

“Candy” (Paolo Nutini song)

“Candy (Drippin’ Like Water)”, by Snoop Dogg

“Candy”/”Molly’s Lips”, a split single by The Fluid and Nirvana

“Candy”, by Bikini Kill from Revolution Girl Style Now!

“Candy”, by Enon from Hocus Pocus

“Candy”, by Foxy Brown from Broken Silence

“Candy”, by Luv Unlimited, featured on DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix and 7thMIX

“Candy”, by Morphine from Cure for Pain

“Candy”, by The Presidents of the United States of America from The Presidents of the United States of America

“Candy”, by Will Smith from Big Willie Style

“Candy-O” (song), by The Cars

“CANDY♥”, by Riyu Kosaka from begin

“Hard Candy” by Madonna

Candy characters also abound in the world of entertainment which include such notables as DJ Candy, a character in the video game MySims; Candy (Dave The Barbarian), a fictional character in the American animated television series titled, Dave The Barbarian; Candy Smiles, a character from Cory in the House and finally, Candy, a character from Of Mice and Men.

And speaking of film, let us not forget the great candy movies like Candy (1968), a film based on the Southern and Hoffenberg novel and Candy (2006), a film based on the Davies novel of the same name. Candy Lane created in 2003 is a short film made in New Zealand that is filled with candy color and candy names. The world of books and entertainment is full of candy named media and characters and that’s because candy is a universal symbol of fun, flavor and frivolity.