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I N T E R N A T I O N A LT he National Confectioners
Association (NCA) hosted its
annual Sweets & Snacks Expo
2015 in Chicago. It was the largest
show ever with nearly 6,000 attend-
ees, including buyers and buying
teams, merchandisers, wholesalers,
category managers, store owners and
executives, importers, exporters, sup-
pliers and brokers. More than 600 exhi-
bitors covered the whole gamma of
sweets and snack products, including
manufacturers of chocolate, candy,
gum, salty snacks, cookies, packaged
cakes, biscuits, popcorn, granola
bars, breakfast snacks, nutrition bars,
meat snacks, fruit snacks, nuts, seeds,
packaged goods and ice cream. In
addition, nearly 100 international com­
panies from 23 countries exhibited at
the Expo.
John H. Downs, President and
CEO, NCA, explained in his opening
speech that because confectionery is
enjoyed across every age and demo-
graphic group, it tends to have a very
New record in exhibitors and innovative
meetings at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
high household purchase rate, which
results in about USD 38 bn (+ 4,1%)
in the U.S. retail sales. ”The global
market is growing at a fast rate in
a USD 428-billion candy and snack
industry worldwide, and it is essential
that the Expo provides access tomore
product categories from more inter-
national companies,“ said John H.
Downs, Jr., President and CEO, NCA,
in his opening speech. According to
consumer insights firm, IRI, U.S. con-
fectionery sales increased 2.8% up
to USD 24.1 bn. Furthermore, the
snacks segment reported a growth of
4.1% (USD 38.5 bn), and the cookies
rose 3% up to USD 8.0 bn.
The Best in Show: Tic Tac Minions
The event in McCormick Place show-
cased the latest trends and products
in chocolate, candy, gum, snacks,
granolas, cookies, cakes and more.
More than 3,000 snack and confec-
tionery items are introduced each
year in the U.S. alone, and the Expo
2015 New Product Showcase boasts
the largest variety of the latest items.
New this year, the Showcase had
a separate area highlighting only spe-
cialty products. Expo attendees voted
the winners of the 2015 Most Innova-
tive New Product Awards. The Best in
Show was presented to Ferrero USA,
Inc., for its Tic Tac Minions.
The Hershey Co. surprised visitors
with its chocolate printer running
throughout the Expo making hollow
3D Hershey‘s Kisses and showing
previously printed items, including
a version of the Empire State Building.
According to the company, the sixth
generation printer was developed in
partnership with 3D Systems. With
plans to commercialize the technol­
ogy in the future, Jeff Mundt, Senior
Marketing Manager New Technology,
The Hershey, said it‘s important to get
it in front of consumers to gauge reac-
tions in order to develop it further. •
Excellent mood: impressions gained at the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2015; the largest participation of exhibitors abroad came from Mexico
Lauren Dylan, the daughter of American designer Ralph Lauren, has opened an other candy shop under the name ”Dylan‘s Candy Bar”
in Chicago‘s best location, directly in Michigan avenue, the famous ”Magnificent Mile”. She already successfully pursues four shops
in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and East Hampton. Lauren Dylan has perfectly combined her love to colours and confectionery
and demonstrated also new horizons of her pop art inspired candy and shop design in her Chicago store.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Walker‘s Nonsuch launches new Mint Toffees
T he Scottish family-owned toffee
makers, Walker‘s Nonsuch, have
launched New Mint Toffees for 2015.
Using a natural mint flavouring the
taste is strong, cool and refreshing
and a perfect combination with the
creamy toffee. Metallic green and
silver wrappers make the sweets very
appealing along with the colour co-
ordinating packaging. Mint toffees are
available in 150 g bags and 2.5 kg bulk
bags for pick and mix and repacking.
New for 2015 is also The Uno Pack.
The bag contains an original creamy
bar with a toffee hammer; instructions
on how to break the bar are on the
back of the pack. Walker‘s wanted to
show younger toffoholics how toffee
was enjoyed years ago. Walker‘s have
beenmaking toffee for over a hundred
years and the range includes bars,
slabs, and twist wrapped toffees and
chocolate éclairs in twelve varieties.
Emma Walker comments, ”There‘s
something special about breaking
toffeewithahammertoshareamongst
family and friends for celebrations”.
The Uno pack is something different
for the confectionery displays. It can
be hung up or it comes in a shelf ready
box and creates a point of difference.•
Walkers Shortbread adds a brand new
Gluten Free range to its extensive collection
delicious gluten free options – Pure
Butter Shortbread, Chocolate Chip
Shortbread and Ginger and Lemon
Shortbread. Walkers Gluten Free
Chocolate Chip Shortbread contains
a generous helping of chocolate chips
providing a rich and luxurious comple-
ment to the classicWalkers shortbread.
And Gluten Free Ginger & Lemon
Shortbread is a crumbly shortbread
with the exotic tang of Stem Ginger &
Lemon. Walkers Gluten Free short-
breads are certified by the UK Coeliac
Society. Each product meets the
standard for gluten free food, which is
to have less than 20 parts per million
of gluten. Every batch is tested to
ensure compliance before being re-
leased. The range contains no artifi-
cial flavourings or colourings, contains
no genetically modified ingredients
(GMOs), contains no hydrogenated
fats, is suitable for vegetarians and
is certified OUD Kosher.
Besides, Walkers has refreshed its
Oatcake Range in line with the com-
pany‘s policy of continued product
development and improvement. The
result is both a healthy and tasty range
of five oatcake varieties and a selec-
tion of Scottish Biscuits for cheese. •
T he Scottish family-owned com­
pany Walkers Shortbread, manu-
facturers of ”TheWorld‘s Finest Short-
bread” – according the press release,
added to its extensive collection with
a brand new Certified Gluten Free
range ensuring everyone can enjoy
the simplicity and luxurious taste that
sets it apart from anything else. The
new range includes three equally