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[INGREDIENTS] by Donald E. Pszczola Confectionery Concoctions andy that smell like roses. Chocolate bars made with potato chips. Chocolate truffles with probiotic prop- Certies. Confections heated up with jalapeno flavors. And chewing gums delivering new flavor twists. These were just a few of the “confectionery concoctions” that have penetrated the marketplace in recent times. In fact, perhaps not too surprising when considering these innovations, confectionery was reported to be the leading food and drinks sector in terms of global launch activity in the first half of 2011. According to Innova Market Insights, “this occurred despite the industry hav- ing a rough ride in 2010, as a result of rising prices in the wake of increasing raw material costs, particularly for cocoa and sugar.” Chocolate continues to dominate con- fectionery— both in market value and launch activity—with chocolate accounting for more than two- Confections, Irvine, Calif., and is aimed specifically at Today’s confections can thirds of the confectionery launches tracked by Innova. pregnant women. Italian confectioner, Agostoni heighten that sense of This was ahead of sugar confectionery (with just under Chocolate, also uses the chocolate format to provide spe- indulgence with new textures, unusual flavor 30%) and chewing gum (with 5%). cial probiotic properties. pairings, different fillings With the global confectionery market continuing to “Potato Chips in Chocolate” bar is appropriately and inclusions, and exciting grow and expected to reach $171 billion by 2014 (as stated named by its manufacturer, Chuao Chocolatier, San Diego, colors. And while doing this, in a recent report by Business Insights), these product Calif. The company created a very unusual combination, perhaps deliver better-for- you benefits as well. launches may prove particularly interesting as they dem- boldly pairing the salty crispness of potato chips with the Photo courtesy of ADM onstrate some of the potential directions that sweetness of chocolate. This confection may just satisfy confectionery is taking in terms of health, indulgence, both lovers of potato chips and chocolate. costs, and other considerations. Hard candies that smell like roses are offered by Alpi, For example, the Hershey Company recently intro- a Bulgarian confectioner. This “Perfume Candy” is said to duced two aerated chocolate products, Air Delight emit a smell of roses through the skin when consumed. chocolate bars and Air Kisses. The products have a light These low-calorie candies contain rose oil components in Imagine Willie Wonka showcasing his confections of tomorrow. What would they be, and would they suggest a reinvention of the candy industry? and airy texture, providing a new taste experience, and the form of an ingredient known as geranoil. Talk about because the chocolate has little bubbles created by air, “smelling like a rose.” they offer less calories—a plus for the more health con- And let’s not forget the 2011 Sweets and Snacks scious. From the formulator’s perspective, the use of Expo which proved to a “candy mine” for new prod- aeration may be one innovative way to respond to the high uct launches, especially extensions to existing lines of costs of cocoa and sugar—growing concerns for today’s products. Mars debuted such creations as the Snickers confectioners. Marathon bar, Snickers Peanut Butter Squared, and M&M Confections can provide delivery mechanisms for spe- Pretzel. The Jelly Belly Candy Co. launched a new line cific health components. In the U.S.,Coco Preggers, a of jelly beans, Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips, in six flavors range of chocolate truffles with added folic acid and DHA (Very Cherry, Coconut, Strawberry, Raspberry, Orange, omega-3 fatty acids, has been launched by Xan and Mint), each dipped in rich dark chocolate. Wrigley 10.11 • www.ift.org 47 pg [INGREDIENTS] Confectionery Concoctions continued... introduced chewing gums in a seeds and chocolate. Or those that and even perhaps gum health). new dessert flavor,Orange Crème offer new textures that can excite or Anything is possible if you use your Pop. And Hershey’s Jolly Rancher calm. Or those that meld a sense of imagination. Crunch ‘n Chew offers a chewy retro with that of modern. Or those Imagine Willie Wonka showcas- center inside a hard candy shell. that combine portion control (smaller ing his confections of tomorrow. In their development of new prod- sizes) with a heightened sense of What would they be, and would they ucts, confectionery manufacturers indulgence through the use of colors, suggest a reinvention of the candy are trying to address a number of flavors, or textures. Or (taking the industry? Ingredient innovations in trends. These might involve the cre- approach that toothpaste manufac- the areas of sweeteners, texturizers, ation of indulgent confections that turers have done) develop products flavors, chocolate, fat replacers, and can deliver better-for-you benefits. that cater to specific problems asso- better-for-you components can help Or those that provide nontraditional ciated with oral health (tooth decay, provide the formulator with new tools pairings, such as jalapeno and mint or teeth whitening, tongue cleaning, and approaches that can shape IngredienTalk: associated with fun and immediate gratifica- multiple choice question, Candy is: a) an indul- tion, it is sometimes difficult to take a more gence food; b) a treatment for diabetes; c) a The value of candy may be in the eye (or serious position on it, especially if you’re a weight control regimen, or d) a preventive for “sweet tooth’” of the beholder. Is candy sim- food writer. cardiovascular disease, guess which one I ply a fun indulgence food? Or does it have Regarding indulgence, it is certainly that. would select? other implications that have yet to be tapped? Confections are high in added sugars and Needless to say, I do have several con- This blog post will try to address some of fats—precisely those components that make cerns regarding these studies. these problematic perceptions of a very popu- this product so yummy in the first place. (Just First, if you do suffer from diabetes or have lar category, putting into perspective what because you add a couple of vitamins or miner- weight concerns, I would be very careful might be described as a “confectionery als to the mix doesn’t change the fact that the regarding how much sweets you’re eating, in conundrum.” If you care to offer your own product is still a candy high in fat and sugar any case. (And even if you don’t suffer from conjectures on confections—and you’re an unless you do a complete reformulation.) these problems, I would not be quick to volun- IFT member—visit www.ift.org, type in your Because these products are fun and indul- teer myself to be some kind of lab rat, perhaps name and password, click on the IFT gent, it seems somewhat misleading to put too taking larger doses of chocolate than I nor- Community button, and go to the blog section. much emphasis on their nutritional mally would.) The candyman can. And so can you. implications. Second, while trying to measure the health Consider, for example, some recent studies benefits of candy regarding cholesterol, heart that I’ve read. One study claimed that candy disease, and metabolic syndrome, you might Candy is Candy? and chocolate lovers tend to weigh less, have want to consider other things like oral health. lower body mass indices and waist circumfer- Otherwise, you might get a cavity for your What are candy’s benefits? ences, and have decreased levels of risk trouble, in addition to the other more serious I suspect one common answer to this factors for cardiovascular disease and meta- ailments. question would be something like, “Hey, candy bolic syndrome. The headline of the press Third, to be fair, all the researchers is candy.” Which means (if I’m allowed to release about the study read: “New Study involved in these studies warn about misinter- translate) that it’s an indulgence product, one Shows You Can Have Your Candy and Eat It pretation and they do put an emphasis on that is designed to make us feel good, give us Too—Without Adverse Health Effects.” The moderation and a healthy lifestyle. For exam- pleasure, relieve stress, or just provide a fun media then reported that “study suggests that ple, regarding the first study mentioned, the experience regardless of age. And there’s kids who eat candy are less likely to be obese lead researcher noted, “We certainly don’t nothing wrong with that. The world, especially than their candy-shunning peers.” (Is it just me want these results positioned as eating candy with all of its problems, would be a much or doesn’t that sound like something that helps you to lose weight. This study adds to the worse place without candy to help administer maybe George Orwell would write, especially evidence base that supports candy’s role as an some doses of comfort. after a chocolate binge?) Another study occasional treat within a healthy lifestyle.” And yet, I have to admit, I find my response reports that dark chocolate may reduce cho- (Gee, based on the arrival of that conclusion, I to this view somewhat problematic. lesterol levels in diabetics. And still another hope you didn’t spend too much money or time On the one hand, I can understand it, and study claims that consuming dark chocolate on this study. I mean who exactly is saying that as such, agree with it. When you think about a may lower blood pressure and improve the it isn’t okay to eat one candy bar a week? Or “fun” food, candy immediately comes to body’s processing of blood sugar.

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