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McCrea's Candies Named a 2016 Good Food Awards Finalist McCrea's Candies has been selected as a Good Food Awards Finalist. The Boston- based maker of small-batch handcrafted caramel secured its spot in the awards' Confections Category. Each year, the Good Food Awards celebrate tasty, real food that is responsibly made, and grants awards to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients. In further news, USA Today has recognized McCrea's in its 10 Best "Best Gift for Foodies" competition. The contest features twenty exceptional products curated by a panel of food and travel experts. Readers of the national newspaper vote for their favorites. McCrea's currently ranks fourth in the competition. "We are thrilled that both The Good Food Awards and USA Today have recognized McCrea's Candies as a company that not only produces exceptional caramel but one that strives to do good at the same time," said Kate McCrea, the company's co-founder. "It is important to us that we give back to our communities, pay a fair price for ingredients, and are environmentally responsible. All of which helps us on our mission to make world's best caramel." The recognition f rom The Good Food Awards and USA Today comes hot on the heels of the company 's placement as a finalist in the Martha Stewart Living American Made Awards. In addition, McCrea's Candies caramels were awarded the Yankee Magazine Editor's Choice Food Award in 2014 and named Best New Autumn Product at the 2013 New England Made Specialty Food Show. McCrea's Candies also received Best Candy honors at the 2012 New England Dessert Showcase. McCrea's Candies was founded by husband-wife team Jason and Kate McCrea. Building upon backgrounds in biology and chemistr y, the McCrea's transitioned into the sweet science of candy making after double layoffs. Started in a home kitchen, McCrea's Candies now offers a full line of mouthwatering caramels to retail outlets throughout North America. The hallmark of the McCrea's Candies line is its use of striking seasonings to produce provocatively-flavored caramel candies. McCrea's flagship product features Hawaiian black lava sea salt swirled into caramel to provide a salty-sweet mouthful. Basil and cayenne are combined for a heat and sweet treat. Additional flavor combinations include ginger fusion, curried butternut, and rosemary truffle sea salt. McCrea's also offers such classic flavors as vanilla, scotch, chocolate, maple, mocha, and coffee. KN THE PANTRY www.kitchenwarenews.com n JUNE 2016 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 2 1 Candy Companies Agree Not to Advertise to Young Children The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), in partnership with the National Confectioners Association (NCA), has announced a new self-regulatory initiative that promotes responsible advertising to children. Under the Children's Confection Advertising Initiative (CCAI), participating companies agree to not advertise directly to children under age 12. CCAI is modeled after the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), another CBBB-administered self-regulation program. Six companies that make popular brands of candies are the charter participants of CCAI: Ferrara Candy Company; Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; Jelly Belly Candy Company; Just Born Quality Confections; The Promotion in Motion Companies, Inc.; and R.M. Palmer Company. They have pledged to not engage in confectionery advertising that is primarily directed to children under age 12 or to advertise their candy in school to children from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. They join six other confectionery companies – American Licorice Company; Ferrero USA; The Hershey Company; Mars, Incorporated; Mondelez International; and Nestlé – that are CFBAI participants that do not advertise directly to children. "CCAI follows the same principles as CFBAI, but is designed for small-to- medium size confectionery companies and has fewer administrative requirements than CFBAI," said Maureen Enright, director of CCAI and deputy director of CFBAI. "All CCAI participants are making the same commitment – to not engage in child- directed advertising. CFBAI will independently monitor compliance and will publish periodic compliance reports, as it does for CFBAI." "Better Business Bureau has always felt that smaller companies can be just as much a part of the self-regulatory success story as major corporations," said Mary E. Power, President and CEO of CBBB. "This latest initiative is yet another example of how responsible companies can join together to efficiently regulate themselves. We are delighted to build on CFBAI's success, we appreciate NCA's partnership on this effort, and we look forward to working with them to grow the program." "America's leading confectionery companies are committed to marketing their products responsibly, and participating in this program further solidifies that commitment," John H. Downs, Jr, NCA President and CEO, said. "The candy companies that are members of CCAI and CFBAI make the majority of the candy on store shelves in the U.S." CCAI's core principles are available at www.bbb.org/CCAI. KN Bixby Bars Honored with Good Food Award Recognized for its dedication to handcrafted natural and organic craft candy snack bars, Bixby & Co. announces it is a recipient of the prestigious 2016 Good Food Award™ in the confections category. BixbyBixby founder Kate McAleer accepted the award in San Francisco on January 15 for its Nutty for You organic craft candy snack bar. The awards ceremony featured 800 people including farmers, chefs, journalists, and activists united to honor exceptional food crafters, including such luminaries as Alice Waters, Nell Newman and Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini. The Good Food Awards, a collaboration between the nonprofit Seedling Projects and a broad community of food producers, food writers and passionate food lovers, celebrates companies and products that represent the foref ront of American craft food. The organization requires that products not only taste delicious, but also are respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions. "We've always believed that great taste and socially responsible production should go hand-in-hand," said Kate McAleer. " We've made responsibility, innovation and quality the centerpieces of our business, and we are happy for this recognition." Bixby Bars – Ever ything BU T Traditional Unlike other chocolate bars, Bixby Bars are noted for their protein and fiber content, dedication to the highest quality ingredients and distinctive flavor profiles, such as Birdie (dark chocolate, sweet currant, hazelnut and Maine sea salt); Whippersnapper (blueberry, black pepper, dark chocolate and walnut); To the Nines (white chocolate, goji berr y, cardamom, pistachio and almond); Nutty for You (dark chocolate, peanuts and Maine sea salt); and others. To view all of Bixby 's unique flavors, visit BixbyCo.com. Manufactured in a historic refurbished ice factor y on the waterf ront in scenic Rockland, Maine, the organic Nutty for You bar was singled out by the Good Food Awards for its superior taste, nutritional value and commitment to social responsibility. According to McAleer, the 1.5-ounce Nutty for You bar has five times as much protein (5g/serving) and four times as much fiber (3g/serving) as most standard candy bars. In addition to its organic certification, the Nutty for You bar also is certified Kosher, Non- GMO Verified, certified Gluten Free, and Rain Forest Alliance™ certified. All Bixby Bars are made without corn syrup, palm oil, artificial flavors, artificial colors, preservatives or additives. KN

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