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GourmEt nEWS FEbruArY 2018 www.gourmetnews.com SuPPliEr nEWS 1 3 Chocolate Companies Sweeten Nutrition Offers bY lorriE bAumAnn Major chocolate candy manufacturers joined other confectioners last year in sup- port of an industry initiative to offer con- sumers more information about how their products fit into a healthy lifestyle, and that response to market imperatives is already changing the labels and the products we're seeing in the candy aisle. The five-year project, titled "Always a Treat" is a joint project between the National Confectioners Association and The Partnership for a Healthier America, and its sponsors include Ferrara Candy Company, Ferrero, Ghi- rardelli, Lindt, MarsWrigley Confectionery, Nestle and Russell Stover Chocolates. Among its goals: more packaging options with more individually wrapped products that contain 200 calories or less per pack, calorie information printed on the front of each package, and consumer education to help shoppers understand the role that confections can play in their diets. Most people in the U.S. consume choco- late or other candy two to three times a week, averaging out to about 40 calories per day and about one teaspoon of added sugar per day per person, according to the National Confectioners Association. Now, more than 60 percent of the individually wrapped candy products produced by the association's members contain less than 250 calories per pack, and by 2022, half of the industry's individually wrapped prod- ucts will be available in sizes that contain 200 calories or less per pack, with 90 per- cent of the industry's best-selling treats fea- turing calorie information printed on the front of the pack. Already, we're seeing a variety of prod- ucts on the market that are clearly designed to appeal to consumers' concerns about their nutrition – added sugars in particular – as well as their desire for an indulgent treat. Chocolate, in particular, is enjoying a heyday of enthusiasm for chocolate's su- perfood status and consumers' willingness to pay more for quality products that boast fair trade and organic certifications. Healthy snack producer NuGo, to name one brand, has figured out that a lovely coat of luscious chocolate can enhance the appeal of a protein bar, and it's now offering a range of protein bars coated in dark chocolate at retail prices that range from $1.59 to $1.99 per bar. The real dark chocolate that envelops each of these pro- tein bars is made from the cocoa butter and non-fat cocoa solids found in cacao beans, so it's full of the antioxidants, and whatever health benefits that go along with them, of a real chocolate. The range includes NuGo Slim, which offers 16 to 18 grams of pro- tein and only 2 to 3 grams of sugar in a gluten-free bar; NuGo Organic, which of- fers 10 grams of protein in a vegan snack; NuGo Free, which offers 9 grams of protein with no soy or gluten. The NuGo Stronger is a high protein version with 25 grams of protein and no soy. The Stronger bar retails for $2.39. The company's newest product is a pro- tein cookie that's gluten free. The protein cookies are offered in four varieties: Dark Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Oatmeal Raisin, which doesn't have chocolate in it. All four cookie varieties are vegan, gluten free and non-GMO, with 16 grams of plant protein and 12 grams of fiber per cookie. The chocolate chips in the varieties that include them are real dark chocolate, and none of them contain artificial sweeteners, dairy, soy, eggs, palm oil or margarine. The indi- vidually packaged cookies retail for $2.39 apiece. Navitas Organics, long a darling of health- and socially- conscious con- sumers, specializes in products that offer superfood nu- trition, and its Cof- fee Cacao and Cacao Goji Organic Power Snacks are its newest plant-based superfood snacks. These are chewy cubes that are pack- aged in 8-ounce pouches that retail for $9.99. A serving de- livers 90 calories and 20 to 25 percent of the daily value of Vitamin C. OCHO Candy, known for organic filled candy bars that are organic twists on famil- iar favorites, is also introducing for the spring holiday season its Organic Peanut Butter Eggs and Organic Caramel Eggs. The eggs are offered in 100-gram packages that retail for $4.99. The range of bars for which the company is better known includes OCHO Coconut, OCHO Peanut Butter, OCHO Caramel & Peanut and OCHO Dark Chocolate PB. The Dark Chocolate PB is the company's newest offering, while Coconut is its best seller. All of the bars are made from simple, high- quality ingredients, and they're all non- GMO and gluten free, with soft centers made from organic ingredients and coated with a thick layer of chocolate outside. Each bar retails for $1.99. The company is also making bite-size versions of the bars in Peppermint, Peanut Butter, Coconut and Caramel varieties. Each 3.52-ounce pouch of OCHO minis contains eight snack-size pieces and retails for $4.49 to $4.99. All of the products are made from the company's state-of-the-art facility in Oakland, Califor- nia. The Happy Chocolatier, based in Acton, Massachusetts, has launched a dark choco- late orange truffle Cubze™ to augment the company's line of confections. This new all- natural truffle Cubze has a dark chocolate center infused with essence of orange in a cube-shaped truffle serving. There's an in- spirational message about happiness hand- wrapped into each piece. For specialty food outlets and gift shops, the truffle Cubze are available in a new counter display that features the happiness theme and is filled with in- dividual servings of an as- sortment of the truffle Cubze flavors. Brownie Brittle's new Thindulgent Chocolate Bark is offered in two fla- vors that marry sweet with salty: Dark Chocolate Peppermint and Caramel Pretzel Milk Chocolate. Each bag retails for $4.49. Brownie Brittle Bites are now offered in Milk Chocolate Caramel and Peppermint Dark Chocolate flavors for $4.49 per bag. For the Milk C h o c o l a t e Caramel fla- vor, chocolate chip Brownie Brittle morsels are covered in a layer of caramel and milk choco- late, while P e p p e r m i n t Dark Choco- late Bites are chocolate chip Brownie Brit- tle morsels as well, covered in a layer of peppermint and dark chocolate. Chocolove is in the midst of a strong in- novation and marketing drive that was behind a host of new product in- troductions this year at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Among the new products are bars with Almonds, Tof- fee & Sea Salt; Almonds & Sea Salt and a filled bar with Strawberry Creme. The large 3.2-ounce bars re- tail for $3.19. The company is also offering elevated versions of the nut butter cup with Hazelnut Butter Cups in Dark Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cups in Dark Chocolate packaged in two-packs that will retail for $1.99 and individually packaged cups that retail for $1 each. The company also unveiled two new pouched Bites, Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate Bites and Assorted Bites. These pouches of individually wrapped Bites contain a bit less than 6 ounces and retail for $7.99. Chocolove has also intro- duced a ranged of unwrapped chocolate- covered snack bites that are built around the company's best-selling flavors. Dark Chocolate Salted Almonds, Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee and Dark Chocolate Pret- zels are offered in a 4.5-ounce pouch to re- tail for $4.99. Chocolove's chocolate is imported from Belgium and crafted into its products in Boulder, Colorado. Chocolove participates in or funds a number of programs that attest to the company's commitments to sustain- ability and social justice throughout its sup- ply chain from farm to consumer, including the workers in its Colorado facility. Endangered Species Chocolate has just added its Polar Bear bar, which is dark chocolate with caramel and spiced ap- ples, as well as Chocolate Bites of its top three sellers, the Panther, Owl and Bald Eagle. Panther Bites are a low sugar op- tion, with two pieces coming in at 2 grams of sugar. Owl Bites are sea salt and almonds in dark chocolate, and Bald Eagle Bites are caramel and sea salt in dark chocolate. The Bites are sold in 4.2- ounce packages that contain 10 to 13 pieces and retail for $4.99. Bars retail for $2.99 for 3 ounces. NibMor's newest offerings are Dark Chocolate Bites with Tart Cherries and Dark Chocolate Bites with Maine Blueber- ries. These bites are made with 52 percent cocoa, and they're gluten free, certified vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified. The 6-piece serving comes in at 240 calories, so this is an indulgent treat, but the 19 grams of sugar are less than the sugar content of competing fruit and chocolate bites prod- ucts, says NibMor Inc. CEO Ralph Chau- vin. The 5.4-ounce stand-up pouches retail for $4.99. GN

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