Some 45 new confectionery and snack products across nine categories named Most Innovative New Products by the National Confectioners Association.
During the 2014 Sweets & Snacks Expo, held in Chicago, Ill., the National Confectioners Association (NCA) bestowed 45 Most Innovative New Product Award nominations to companies showcasing imaginative ideas, concepts and products in two of the fastest growing categories in the marketplace: confectionery and snacks.
Retail and wholesale trade customers then electronically selected one winner in each of the nine categories that comprise the $80 billion U.S. sweets and snacks industry.
“The Expo’s new product awards program demonstrates not only the outstanding innovation candy and snack makers apply to product development, but also sincere understanding of today’s consumer,” said Phil Lempert, food trends editor for NBC’s TODAY Show and panel moderator. “The program is one of the fastest-growing, most popular ones of its kind across a wide variety of consumer products with submissions up nearly 25% over last year.”
The day before the Sweets & Snacks Expo a panel of experts collaborated and taste-tested more than 280 product submissions.
Panel participants included The NPD Group trends expert Harry Balzer, Mariano’s Fresh Market registered dietician Peggy Balboa, “Ace of Cakes” celebrity chef Duff Goldman and the Food Network’s Iron Chef winner and restaurateur Homaro Cantu, as well as executives from some of the top retailers of candy and snack products in the U.S. including:
Dollar General
Eby-Brown Company
Hy-Vee
IT’SUGAR
Mariano’s Fresh Market
Meijer, Inc.
Sam’s Club
Safeway, Inc.
Walgreens
Walmart
The panel analyzed nine candy and snack segments ranging from chocolate and non-chocolate to savory and salty snacks to the newest category, gum and mints.
Panelists then rated product submissions on taste, packaging, innovation and go-to-market feasibility and nominated five of the top items in each of the nine segments.
On the first day of the Expo, hundreds of retail and wholesale trade customers voted for their top picks in each category in the Most Innovative New Product Awards showcase.
“New candy and snack items in 2013 alone were the leading source of growth for both categories,” commented NCA Executive Vice President Alison Bodor. “Together they delivered over 20% of center store growth, so these launches are critical to industry success.”
Included among the 2014 winners was the inaugural Best in Show prize, awarded to the product show attendees nominated as the best-of-the-best at the Expo. That honor was given to The Hershey Co.’s York Minis, which both the panelists and attendees deemed most likely to succeed.
“Once again we saw new trends emerge in the candy and snacks category, including exciting and wild flavor combinations as well as innovative twists on flavor favorites,” said Expo Chairman Tim Quinn, vice president of trade relations at Mars Chocolate North America. “There’s no other category where you’ll find Sriracha-flavored snacks next to a Guinness chocolate bar next to a snack featuring dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds.”
Nominees and winners in each category are as follows:
Chocolate winner:
The Chocolate Traveler – TABASCO Chocolate Bars
Nominees:
The Chocolate Traveler – TABASCO Chocolate Bars
The Hershey Company – York Minis
Kimmie Candy Company – Salted Caramel ChocoRocks
Mars Chocolate North America – Snickers Rockin’ Nut Road
Scho-ko-lade – Scho-ko-lade
Non-chocolate winner:
Jelly Belly Candy Company – Jelly Belly Draft Beer Jelly Beans
Nominees:
Just Born, Inc. – PEEPS Minis Sour Watermelon Flavored Marshmallow
Candy Dynamics – Goop Gum Sour Liquid Filled Gum
Jelly Belly Candy Company – Jelly Belly Draft Beer Jelly Beans
Tierra Nueva Fine Cocoa – Coffee Thins Peppermint
Hillside Candy – GoOrganic Fruit Chews
Sweet snacks winner:
Bare Snacks – Crunchy Coconut Chips “Show Me the Honey”
Nominees:
Bare Snacks – Crunchy Coconut Chips “Show Me the Honey”
Mars Chocolate North America – TWIX Bites Unwrapped
Stuff ‘n Mallows – Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Stuffed Marshmallows
That’s How We Roll – Mrs. Thinsters Cookie Thins Brownie Batter
That’s How We Roll – Mrs. Thinsters Cookie Thins Chocolate Chip
Salty snacks winner:
Gourmet Basics – Slim Chips White Cheddar
Nominees:
Giant Snacks – Giant’s Sriracha Sunflower Seeds
Gourmet Basics – Slim Chips White Cheddar
Hardbite Chips – Hardbite Lightly Salted Parsnip Chips
Oberto Brands – Oberto Spicy Buffalo Style Chicken Strips
POP! Gourmet Popcorn – Fire Corn White Cheddar Jalapeno Popcorn
Savory snacks winner:
POP! Gourmet Popcorn – Sriracha Popcorn
Nominees:
Edward Marc Chocolatier – Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Snappers
Flamous Brands, Inc. – Flamous Spicy Fiesta Chips
Cheesewich – Cheesewich Colby Jack Cheese & Salami
Ripple Brand Collective – Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seeds
POP! Gourmet Popcorn – Sriracha Popcorn
Novelty/licensed winner: Leaf Brands / Astro Pop, LLC – Sour Farts Flow Pack
Nominees:
Concord Confections, Inc. – Fizzers Fizzing Bubble Gum
Ford Gum & Machine Co., Inc. – Big League Chew Bubblegum Baseball
Ford Gum & Machine Co., Inc. – Flavor Ice Cherry Bubblegum filled with Blue-Raspberry Powder
Jelly Belly Candy Company – Jelly Belly Disney Princess Slipper
Leaf Brands / Astro Pop, LLC – Sour Farts Flow Pack
Seasonal winner: Vigneri Chocolate – Doodle Egg
Nominees:
Atkinson Candy Company – Sophie Mae Gingerbread Pecan Brittle
Ferrara Candy Company – Brach’s Caramel Macchiato Candy Corn
Ferrara Candy Company – Brach’s Peppermint Crème Jelly Candy Canes
Just Born, Inc. – PEEPS Orange and Crème Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
Vigneri Chocolate – Doodle Egg
Gourmet/premium winner: Ripple Brands Collective – Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconuts
Nominees:
Lir Chocolates – Guinness Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar
Hammond’s Candies – Hammond’s Whoopie Pie Chocolate Bar
Chuao Chocolatier – Oh My S’mores!
Chuao Chocolatier – Pretzel Toffee Twirl
Ripple Brands Collective – Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconuts
Gum & Mints Winner: Project 7 – Project 7 Coconut Lime
Nominees:
The Hershey Company – Ice Breakers Cool Blasts Chews
Project 7 – Project 7 Coconut Lime
Vitaball, Inc. – Vitamingum Fresh Cinnamon
Wm. Wrigley Company – Altoids Arctic, Peppermint
Wm. Wrigley Company – Juicy Fruit Fruity Chews
“Kimmie Candy’s product innovation, like everyone’s, starts out as an idea, a hunch or a vision,” said Joe Dutra, president/CEO of Kimmie Candy Co., whose Salted Caramel ChocoRocks were a nominee in the popular chocolate category. “You hope the new product will meet market acceptance, but you’re not sure yet. The Most Innovative New Product Award nomination we received from the leaders in the retail industry showed us that this product has real potential in the market. Small companies need this accolade as motivation to keep moving forward.”
“Since the depth, breadth and diversity of overall panel feedback possesses decades of category experience, retail knowledge and consumer trends smarts, panel-selected products have all but a guarantee to become best sellers with shoppers in the coming year,” added Lempert.
The 2015 Most Innovative New Product Awards will be presented at next year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo to be held in Chicago, May 19–21, 2015.
