Category Archives: Candy News

Candy News and Trends form the online leader in bulk candy, ACandyStore.com

How Hershey Is Saving Lives by Teaching About Farming

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Hershey recently announced a comprehensive plan to help save lives and make better chocolate. They are working with several partners to improve sustainable farming practices, reduce child labor violations and develop stronger communities in areas where cocoa farming is a major part of the economy.

The world famous chocolate company hopes to improve living conditions in these areas so farmers can improve yield and sustainability of their cocoa crop for decades to come. Bulk candy lovers everywhere should approve of that. Yes, it will mean continued enjoyment of Hershey’s chocolate candy down the line, but it will also guide the conditions under which the cocoa is produced to improve, and lives could be saved because of it.

Most of the cocoa in the world, over 70 percent, is grown in West Africa. This also happens to be one of the places in the most need of economic empowerment and community development. Conditions in farming communities in West Africa have been pretty bad. Child labor and poor health and education structures have meant worsening conditions in recent years. Hershey has decided that it is in everyone’s best interest for them to step forward and do something about it.

Through strategic partnerships, Hershey is adopting a multifaceted plan that it estimates will take five years and over $10 million to develop. The focus will be on accelerating farmer and family development by working with agriculture experts, community developers and governments to educate and encourage farmers. Providing resources to farmers is the first, and seemingly most important, step in the process.

An increase in cocoa yield of 50-100% is estimated for farmers who will be a part of Hershey’s program. By using the resources Hershey will provide, which includes not only knowledge of best practices but high-yield seedlings and organic fertilization, farmers could see a large boost in their family income. In regions where farming income is 50 percent of the local economy, the implications for such growth are very promising.
Working with partners like the Rainforest Alliance and Source Trust, Hershey will set up community based organizations where farmers can build community relationships, source improved planting material and get financing for further improvements to their farms.

In an effort to curb the unsafe and illegal child labor practices in the region, inspectors will monitor the practices of farmers who provide cocoa to Hershey. Through the Rainforest Alliance and local government, training programs will be set up to increase school attendance and improve schools.

In summing up, Hershey has decided to get involved in an area of the world with which it already has a symbiotic relationship. Hershey provides a large market in which farmers can sell their products and farmers produce the cocoa beans that are the very fabric of their chocolate candy products. Under this plan, farmers should make more money, communities develop, health and education improve, and children will be safer and healthier.

Support Hershey in their efforts to improve cocoa farming conditions. Buy Hershey’s chocolate candy from the online bulk candy store, ACandyStore.com.

To read more about their programs, go to:
www.HersheyCocoaSustainability.com

Candy Bar

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Gooey, crunchy or chewy everybody loves a candy bar and everyone has a favorite. Candy bars epitomize indulgence and fun and maybe that is why even as adults, we continue to play with different ideas about candy bars. For example some industrious people have gotten together to create the worlds largest bar which weighed in at 5 tons or nearly 10 000 pounds. And the the town ate it!

candy bar

Other interesting candy bar facts and trivia:

  • Frank and Ethel Mars introduced the Snickers bar in 1929. They named it after the family horse.
  • The Snickers Marathon bar is designed to be a cross between a candy bar and an energy bar. It is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
  • The most valuable chocolate bar in the world is a 100-year old Cadbury’s chocolate bar worth $680 dollars
  • The most chocolate bars eaten in one minute is shared at three and was achieved by Pat Bertoletti and Joey Chestnut in San Diego, California, on 22 July 2010
  • The largest chocolate bar mosaic is 101.29 ft2 made with 700 bars of Green & Black’s chocolate by Sir Peter Blake in on 16 November 2009.

 

Different types of candy bars

It seems a lot of people are finding some pretty creative reasons to eat candy bars. It’s not surprising; there are over 120 different types of candy bar for sale in the world today.  That may seem like a lot but not when you consider that at the start of the 20th century there were literally thousands of bars being made by small companies.
Most of those small suppliers have since been purchased by the larger companies we know and love. The favorite candy bars of the smaller companies were usually retained and the rest foregone in favor of the most popular candy bars.

Candy Rituals

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Confectionary and ritual have been partners for a very long time. Although the most immediate candy rituals that come to mind are probably part of religious (Christian or Pagan) rites like Christmas, Easter and Halloween, there are numerous ceremonies and rituals involving candy. These are but a fraction.

The Way of Tea or the Japanese Tea Ceremony involves ceremonial preparation of powdered green tea shared communally along with candy and sometimes a meal followed by candy. During the ceremony the host and guests strive for spiritual refreshment and harmony with the universe. The Japanese philosophies of art, beauty, harmony and respect are at the heart of the rituals performed. The custom originally grew from Zen Buddhist monks’ habit of drinking from a bowl during worship but has grown to embrace an appreciation and devotion to the careful craft in the utensils and preparation of the tea and candy or food.

The Buckeye tree which is associated with prosperity and abundance has been used for many years in some traditions of folk magic. The nut is a toxic meat that is part of the horse chestnut family or, Aesculus Glabra. Hoodoo rituals using the nuts involve applying mercury and wax to the nut to create a powerful charm when held. This charm is said to bring luck and wealth.

During the Mexican Day of the Dead ceremonies candy skulls are used to represent the heads of dead friends and family. Sugar is dissolved in water until it becomes thick syrup which is then poured into variegated molds. Once the sugar hardens it is decorated with colored sugar and brightly colored paper cut-ups and given a Christian name. In this way a person can have a candy skull with the name of a friend or relative so that they can “eat the skull” as is the custom that honors those passed. Sometimes Amaranth skulls are made using walnuts for the eyes and peanuts or pumpkin-seeds for the teeth.

The Sunrise Dance is a traditional coming of age ceremony for young girls of the Apache Indian tribe. The ceremony, called na’ii’ees, was a reenactment of the myth of Changing Woman. A girl’s na’ii’ees required preparation of a special ceremonial dance area. This area was covered with blankets and a ceremonial buckskin as well as baskets filled with candy and fruit.

Truly a fascinating study, the use of candy in ceremonies and rituals around the world is extraordinary. The range and scope of these rites and ceremonies is fodder for the most innovative imagination. The element of fun and caprice accompanying candy ceremonies makes them often the most pleasurable of all traditions.

Confectionary, Chocolate and Candy Expos

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For those whom the love of candy extends from a personal passion to a professional enterprise it is expo season. Over the next few months candy makers, lovers and retailers will host expos all over America. The public and pundits alike will learn about candy and chocolate, discover brands and types they had never heard of and listen to keynote speakers address the latest trends and prospects in the world of candy and chocolate.

The next Chocolate World Expo show is just around the corner and will take place in New Jersey on Sunday, March 6, at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Expo Center is part of the Harmon Meadow complex that includes seven hotels, major office buildings, movie theaters, and major retail establishments. The show will as always, offer tastings and sales of gourmet chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, wines and more. The show is a favorite of both industry people and the public.

For candy lovers, PEZ in particular, but there is much more than just PEZ at this convention, there is the 13th Annual Northeast PEZ Collectors Gathering on April 7, 8 and 9, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Stamford Downtown, Connecticut. This show is a must for candy lovers and its fun for everyone. Some of the featured events on this year’s agenda include a PEZ scavenger hunt, room hopping as well as the usual raft of workshops and seminars.

The 2011 Sweets and Snacks Expo, sponsored by the National Confectioners Association, is the largest confectionery, cookie and snack show in the Americas. The EXPO features nearly 500 companies showcasing the most confectionery and snack products in one place making it the most valuable, time-effective event in the industry. Exhibitors at the EXPO are manufacturers of chocolate, candy, gum, cookies/biscuits; sweet snacks, nuts and savory (salty) snack goods. You will also find every other confection imaginable represented on the trade show floor, from the classic selections consumers buy year after year, to the hundreds of new products introduced. The show runs from May 24 to 26 at McCormick Place, Chicago.

The Philadelphia National Candy Gift and Gourmet Show is sponsored by the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia (RCAP). The show focuses on the sharing of information and knowledge about candy making and retailing among Philadelphia area confectioners. Over the years, the local focus has expanded and the RCAP currently has over 300 active and associate members throughout the United States and Canada. Today these candy makers and suppliers still share information to maintain very high quality chocolate and hard candy. This show runs from September 11 – 13, 2011 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Whether you are in the industry or a product lover, trade shows are interesting and fun and an amazing way to find out about, and sample, new candy and chocolate and trends.

Music and Candy

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The count-down to Valentine’s Day is truly on and for those who want to make a huge impression, it’s pressure time. If you have musical talent though, you are in luck and the battle is half won. Nothing will melt a woman’s heart (or a man’s) like a box of chocolates or flowers and a serenade. So get out your instruments and start tuning up because these are the most romantic and sexy love song suggestions and you may want to take a week to practice!

This one is short and sweet and will surely melt his or her heart. The song is by Candy Dulfer and it’s called, What Does it Take.

What does it take
To win your love for me
How can I make
This dream come true for me

Ooh I just got to know
Oh baby cause I love you so

I tried I tried I tried I tried
Every way I could
To make you see how much I love you
I thought you understood

Oh, I gotta make you see
What does it take to win
Your love for me

For the rapper or rockier music artist keen to put the love and the candy in the music, nothing will tell her how you feel like Candy by Kool Moe Dee. The part we can print (it is a bit forward) goes like this…

It’s like a million chocolate candy bars, chocolate kiss
But you go better with nut, so put me into your mix
I make it chunky but funky, a chocolate kiss with a twist
Cause I’m addicted like a junk food junkie, honey’s my fix
Since I’m Kool as ice cream maybe one day
I make your love come down and make a sundae
For breakfast, lunch or dinner you’re a tasty treat
Too much dessert can’t hurt, come taste and eat
Freak freak y’all, to the beat y’all
I’m droppin on honey like free fall
Happy as a kid inside a candy shop

This song is ‘slightly’ more suggestive and a good option for a valentine love you know quite well rather than a first date!

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.

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!

Do It Yourself Valentine Chocolates

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Nothing says I love you like an effort made to create something special, unique and home made for your sweetheart. Don’t worry that your valentine chocolate creations won’t look as good as store bought, the thought really is what counts and, believe it or not, it isn’t as difficult as you may think to create beautifully presented chocolate candy pieces. Ready to give it a go!

To begin with you will need

Ingredients:

Couverture or confectioners chocolate

You will also need:

Candy molds

Palette knife or metal spatula

Squeeze bottles

Pouring jug

Note: Couverture chocolate requires the cook to temper the chocolate. This chocolate tastes better but is harder to make

Directions

There are three options for melting the chocolate and each will have equally good results. The microwave is obviously the easiest but some may wish to infuse their chocolate with patient loving care over a slow cooker or double boiler. The perfect melted chocolate temperature will be warm on the wrist, not hot.

Microwave: place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and cook it on high power at 10-second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate is just melted but not hot.

Slow cooker: set the cooker on low heat stirring occasionally and making sure the chocolate does not get hot. A slow cooker is great for melting chocolate and keeping it at just the right temperature.

Double boiler: For optimal temperature controls use this method. Set up the double boiler with a small amount of water but make sure the water does not touch the top of the pan or the chocolate. Melt the chocolate stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth, and then remove the pan from the heat.

Once the chocolate is melted and creamy, spoon it into clean, dry plastic squeeze bottles or a pouring jug. Set the bottles or jug in a pan of warm water to stay at just the right temperature and be sure to dry the bottles before using the chocolate.

Use the squeeze bottles or jug and carefully pour the chocolate slowly into the molds, leaving back about half a cup of soft chocolate kept in a squeeze bottle in the warm water.

Using the palette knife or spatula, scrape off any excess chocolate. When the top of the mold is smooth and even, gently tap the tray of chocolates on the countertop to pop any air bubbles.

To make the chocolate harden quickly, put it in the freezer for a few minutes or simply refrigerate the chocolate until firm. Use the squeeze bottle and remaining chocolate to slowly and carefully pattern the tops of the chocolate molds and return them to the fridge for a few more minutes.

Once the chocolate and chocolate trim is firm enough come out of the mold, invert the entire mold onto a clean towel and twist very gently to release the chocolates. A box and some ribbon and you have created the ultimate valentines chocolate gift.

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.