Vitamin Information Center

Chicago’s McCormick Place was recently transformed into Candyland.

Sweet things in all flavors and colors starred at the National Confectioners Association’s All Candy Expo May 19 to 21.

Tried-and-true favorites from old-fashioned lollipops and gum to chocolate goodies and fiery cinnamon concoctions were on display at the decadent show.

One couldn’t tell America is in a recession by the sweet expo. Candy vendors were out in full force at the one-stop event geared to industry buyers, manufacturers and other personnel. New offerings in the market proved to be at an all-time high.

“Candy is definitely as popular as ever. There have been about 2,000 new products launched at the show or just announced here,” NCA spokeswoman Susan Whiteside said.

New trends include an emphasis on chocolate items being revamped or given the gourmet touch (think Dove’s new peanut butter candy bar and Lindt ’sTouch of Sea Salt bar); candy with “healthful” flavors such as acai, pomegranate and green tea (Jelly Belly’s new Superfruit mix and Hershey’s All Natural Extra Dark Chocolate with Pomegranate bar); and international flavors (Tic Tac Melon Mango mints, Jelly Belly’s Chili Mango jelly beans, coconut M&M’s).

According to Bethany Albanese, manager of the retail store for Albanese Confectionery Group Inc. in Merrillville, consumers are always interested in new candy. Owned by her father Scott, Albanese Confectionary debuts sweets and snack offerings annually.

Their booth this year featured four new mixes including Very Berry Antioxidant (dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries, dark chocolate chips, roasted almonds and raw pepitas).

“Everyone likes something they can take on the road,” Bethany Albanese said about the healthy, convenient mix.

Whiteside said “fun” candy, aimed specifically at the young at heart, is still showing up in the market. These include interactive inventions, intensely sour items and gum of all types.

“Things that squirt, foam, spray and pop in your mouth and stuff that you can play with are still popular,” Whiteside said.

These include Cadbury’s Sour Patch Chillerz, which are soft and chewy with a cool, tingly flavor; Toxic Waste’s extra-long Hi-Voltage Bubble Gum; and American Licorice Co.’s Chewy Extinguisher, a mix of super-sour flavors with sweet in the middle to diminish the bitter aftertaste.

In the category of “playful” things, Pez introduced a collection of Wizard of Oz characters doubling as Pez containers. The collection is boxed together and is perfect for memorabilia fans in addition to candy lovers.

Whiteside said candy fans are sure to find a range of items to satisfy all tastes.

And despite the economy, candy is still king with all generations.

“Candy is really a part of our American life,” Whiteside said.

The following are some new and interesting products seen at the All Candy Expo.

* Cranberry Raisinets by Nestle: Dried cranberries covered by milk chocolate in this new rendition of the popular candy.

* Das Lolli by Das Food in Chicago: Innovative lollipops including Fab-O-Pom (pomegranate extract, orange oil and pieces of orange zest); Caramel Me Happy (caramel, lavender extract and sea salt); Naughty Ginger (lemon and ginger with a combination sweet, spicy and tangy flavor); and Man Bait (bacon bits and maple syrup).

* Jelly Belly Superfruit Mix: Jelly beans for consumers reaching for more antioxidants. The blend features acai berry, cranberry, blueberry, pomegranate and Barbados cherry flavors.

* Luxe Milk Chocolate bars and stand-up bags by Ghirardelli: Super-smooth chocolate in almond, hazelnut, crisp and duet renditions.

* Skittles Crazy Cores: Each piece of candy features two flavors — one on the outside and another inside. Flavors include blue raspberry/lemon, strawberry/watermelon and mango peach/cherry lemonade.

* Twizzlers Sweet and Sour Filled Twists: Puckery flavors include Sunshine Punch and Cherry Kick in a multi-pack.

Healthy Chocolate is not an oxymoron. It’s the name of a business that is generating interest and increased sales in Greater Lafayette.

Xocai Healthy Chocolate is sold by Tiffany Johnson and Dana Alsop through an in-home network marketing program.

Made with unprocessed cacao powder and combined with acai berry and blueberries, Xocai dark chocolate products include power squares, nuggets, cookies, an antioxidant beverage and protein bars.

“It’s all natural. There’s no wax, fillers or processed sugar in it. It’s diabetic friendly — a clean product,” Johnson said. “Three of our power squares are equal to 12 servings of vegetables.”

Dr. Cameron Mohr, owner of Mohr & Mohr Smiles, a dental office in West Lafayette, recommends healthy chocolate to his patients.

“A few benefits are … preventing dental decay, improving gum health, preventing numerous degenerative diseases such as cancer, suppresses appetite for healthy weight loss, lifts one’s mood to alleviate depression and even improves cardiovascular health,” Mohr said. “There is hard medical research confirming the health benefits of unprocessed cacao and dark chocolate.”

Probiotic squares are being launched this weekend by Xocai.

Attracting increased attention from the medical community, probiotics have been linked to improved overall health, normalized gastrointestinal function, improved immune activity and enhanced metabolism.
BUSINESS NAME

Xocai Healthy Chocolate
ABOUT THE BUSINESS

Johnson has openings for people interested in serving as distributors of Xocai Healthy Chocolate.

“We were the first in Lafayette to bring the products here,” Alsop said. “It’s new to the area.”
PHONE

(765) 414-0936

Lately I’ve been worried that the olives in my martini just aren’t enough. They’re kinda old-fashioned, after all, and the jar says nothing about polyphenols or flavonoids.

So where am I supposed to get the essentials, like antioxidants and anthocyanins, without sacrificing alcohol content?

Acai berries to the rescue, distilled by a marketing-savvy visionary into hard liquor. The alcoholic answer to green tea is launching in Dallas under the brand name VeeV on Feb. 22, with a campaign focused on the drink’s healthy ingredients. While not making any specific claims, they aren’t exactly shy either, reminding us that acai berries are “the world’s preeminent superfruit,” and that people can “enjoy themselves while doing some good at the same time.” (Isn’t this how we justified tequila shots before class during college? Um, so I’ve heard)

It’s tough to find any information on acai berries that doesn’t quickly devolve into a breathless recounting of their nutritional benefits (ZOMG! Acai berries contain 57 percent more antioxidants than pomegranates!) Even if the berries are, as Oprah puts it, “one of the most powerful foods in the world,” is there any reason to believe this liquor will confer health benefits on consumers?

Nutrients don’t survive the distillation process unscathed. But that’s OK. This is the land of health fads–someone tried the same tactic with quinoa vodka, too–and are we really prepared to argue with the all-knowing Oprah?

Xoçai Healthy Chocolate is being sold by Karen J. Rankin of Bedford through a direct-marketing sales approach. Made with unprocessed cacao powder and combined with açai berries and blueberries, the combination of these ingredients in their natural state provides a tasty product packed with powerful antioxidants.

The chocolate products include power squares, nuggets, cookies, an antioxidant beverage and protein bars.

Also, the company is selling Xobiotic Squares, which contain probiotics for intestinal health. The chocolates contain no caffeine, preservatives, fillers, waxes, processed sugar or trans fats.

Rankin points to 22 reasons why people should incorporate dark chocolate and açai into their health regimens, including that the chocolate is more nutritious, contains fiber, balances cholesterol, may aid in weight loss, scavenges free radicals, is full of antioxidants, fights pathogens, cleanses and detoxifies and boosts a person’s sense of well-being.

According to a company brochure, “Xoçai products are the perfect delivery system for the antioxidants your body needs while eliminating almost all of the fat and sugar typically found in other chocolate products.”

Rankin will sponsor “chocolate tastings” in Bedford for those interested in joining the business or buying the products. The first will be at 7 p.m. Friday at The Company Concourse, 14th and H streets, and the second is slated for 7 p.m. Monday at The Company Concourse.

Tradition has long held that chocolate could only be savored at the price of health compromising high levels of fat and sugar. There next came the glimmer of hope that dark chocolate contained antioxidants that the body benefitted from. There’s now a new healthy chocolate developed by a doctor that includes a very powerful combination of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that are superb for brain health and an overall sustained mood elevation.
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The morning is not even half over and you are beginning to feel depleted of the energy to make it a productive day. There seems to be a sinking towards a mediocrity that you have felt too many times before and could not shake. Your mood turns against you and those that you associate with.
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There are times in life during which it seems that all of the planets are aligned perfectly which allows for positive circumstances to flow in our direction. Examples of this might be having good fortune in business, falling in love, or just a feeling of goodwill surrounding us. There has occurred in recent weeks the birth of a phenomenon that may be included with these types of advantageous events. It�s a new healthy chocolate that shifts moods, lifts energy and curbs appetites. Continue Reading…

five foods to make your diet super Broccoli
Packed with betacarotene, vitamins C and K, folate, potassium and phytochemicals which may help protect against cancer. Human studies show that people who eat broccoli have lower incidences of lung, colon, breast, ovarian and bladder cancers. Continue Reading…