Trend-Inspired Snacks Shine at Sweets & Snacks

Abdallah Candies, a Minnesota-based candy company, has introduced new varieties to its highly popular “Old Fashioned Caramels” category. Known particularly for the premium caramel, Abdallah Candies’ individually twist-wrapped butter caramel morsels now have companions that are every bit as mouthwatering. New flavors such as chocolate-vanilla-sea-salt-twist, roasted-almond-coconut and toffee-almond caramel now accompany the best-selling plain butter caramels.

Available packaged in 7 ounce bags or in bulk, the new varieties extend the line with unique flavor combinations that perfectly complement the ultra-soft creamy caramel the company is famous for. Abdallah Candies is a fourth generation, Minnesota family-owned gourmet confectioner which manufactures more than 200 varieties of specialty chocolates, including 24 flavors and two sizes of fresh cream truffles, tender toffees, caramels, stemmed cherries, fruits, clusters, creams, nougats and sugar free chocolates. Products are available packaged for everyday and seasonal sales and are also available in bulk.

Droga Chocolates, maker of Money on Honey, the first line of wildflower honey caramels, debuted a POS four-pack of its sofi award-winning caramels for on-the-go snacking this year.

Money on Honey, the brainchild of Founder and President Michelle Crochet, who began making these caramels with honey sourced from her local farmers market in 2010, has quickly grown into a nationally recognized brand with distribution globally. The confections, which are sweetened only by pure honey and Certified Fair Trade cane sugar and blended with real cream and butter, are finished with Certified Fair Tirade Guittard dark chocolate and a sprinkling of fine French sea salt, creating a premium, delicate and more wholesome alternative to other caramels in the market.

“We are delighted to be launching this small grab-and-go size of Money on Honey in our best selling dark chocolate French Sea Salt flavor,” says Crochet. “We have been overwhelmed by the response to our products since we rolled out our revamped and complete line of Money on Honey Caramels this spring in casual pouch bags for more everyday snacking. With this new POS four-pack, we are so excited to be giving more consumers access to our confections by offering them in this convenient size and accessible price point.”

Additionally, a portion of all sales will be donated to Project Apis M., a non-profit organization whose mission is to fund and direct research to enhance the health and vitality of honeybee colonies and improve crop production.

Hammond’s Brands, the parent company of Hammond’s Candies, Old Dominion Peanut Company, McCraw’s Candies and the recently launched Mellow Snacks, shared the details of long-awaited new additions to its popular Crisps line. New packaging, refreshed branding and innovative flavors will help retailers meet an increasing demand for snacks that provide a sugary fix with a salty kick.

Hammond’s new Crisps come in eight complex but perfectly balanced flavors: dark chocolate peanut, sea salt caramel peanut, original peanut, cashew, s’mores, coconut, hickory smoked almond and cinnamon apple walnut. Six-ounce bags have a  suggested retail price that ranges from $2.99 to $3.99.

“Snack sales account for a full 40 percent of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and this percentage is expected to grow each year thanks to Millennials’ tendencies to snack much more than any other generation,” said Andrew Schuman, Hammond’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “From a profit perspective, retailers can’t go wrong with offering a wide variety of snacks for these consumers. Our new Crisps flavors are one way that Hammond’s is fulfilling its commitment to helping these candy sellers satisfy today’s appetites with old-fashioned recipes and fresh ingredients.”