New from American Licorice is the Red Vines Super Strings Peelable, Chewable, Playable Straws. With six Original Red flavored laces wrapped around a center straw, the new and improved product is fun and creative, a unique twist to a candy straw.  SuperStrings are available in a 14-oz., resealable, laydown bag.

MultiZEN Foods announces a new line-up of Belgian artisan chocolates called Chocolats Christina. These chocolates are hand-crafted in the old world European tradition using recipes that have evolved for more than 200 years, giving the chocolates their elegant flavors. By using the best ingredients from around the world, Chocolats Christina is raising the standard with its uncompromising approach to the world of chocolate.

Presented in elegant gift boxes of various sizes and prices, the line-up of Chocolats Christina includes truffles, nougats, solids and ganache pieces in espresso bean, pistachio, white champagne truffles, walnuts, and other flavors created to please the palate of the chocolate connoisseur.

Barricini Chocolate is attending ECRM for the first time and will introduce a new line of chocolates created in 2006 as well as a brand new line. The 2006 line includes a full selection of gourmet chocolates packaged in clear acetate tubs with items such as crunchy, rich English Toffees in both milk and dark chocolate with a choice of flavors that include almond, pistachio and cashew toppings; Barricini’s toffee is distinctive thanks to the many large nut pieces used to top it.  The tub line also features milk and dark Chocolate Grahams. Other staple items in the line are milk and dark chocolate Caramel Nut Clusters with a choice of pecan, cashew or almond nuts as well as rich and creamy chocolate-covered milk and dark crunchy pretzels. Barricini’s Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, creative Barks with Fruit and Nut inclusions, and rich, creamy fudge have become favorites as well.  The line is available in assorted 48-count shippers as well as open stock cases. The Barricini Gold Line has the company’s best Chocolate Covered Grahams, Toffee and Caramel Nut Clusters packaged in a traditional upscale gold box with a beautiful, nostalgic picture/label of the candy.

Help Santa serve up some fun for those who’ve been either naughty or nice with Premium Milk Chocolate Coal from Maramor. A  floor display/power wing contains 192 pieces of Milk Chocolate Coal. 36-count shipper options are available as well.

Zachary Confections has been manufacturing quality confections for over 55 years, and although the company stays up to speed with current trends, there are some things that have not changed over time. Cordial Cherries are one of Zachary’s most enduring successes. Recent changes include updated packaging and a variety of new sizes. The Cordial Cherries are available in 3.3-oz., 6.6-oz. (also available in Dark Chocolate), 12-oz., and 16-oz. boxes.

The line of everyday chocolates is a staple at Zachary. It includes Milk Chocolate Covered Raisins, Double Dipped Peanuts, Bridge Mix, Mini Caramels, and others offered in 5-oz. and 8-oz. peg bags and acetate tubs from 12 ounces to 16 ounces.

Candy Corn is not just for the Halloween candy consumer. Zachary Confections delivers a variety of different corn for almost every season. Zachary’s award-winning Mello Creme line includes Candy Corn, Indian Corn, Autumn Mix, Fall Festival Mix, and others. This line features products in bags ranging from 9 ounces to 22 ounces and tubs ranging from 17 ounces to 20 ounces. Specifically for Halloween is the Trick or Treat bag, which includes 1-oz. packets of the award-winning Candy Corn. Trick or Treat bags are available in 24-oz. and 50-oz. sizes.

Pez offers a variety of assortments for Halloween and Christmas including 12/12-count poly pack counter displays, 108-count floor displays, 3/12-count blister packs (a dispenser and three rolls of candy), and 4/12-count poly pack clip strips.

Tropical Foods Inc. introduces the Palatable Pleasures Holiday Collection 2007. The collection includes Tropical’s manufactured candy and snack items. The trays come in shelf-ready display cases that allow the tray to be displayed vertically. Trays are available in two depths and have suggested retail prices starting at $4.99.

American Licorice Co.’s Sour Punch brand has updated its look. The fresh, new, kid- and teen-preferred graphic design was created to stop kids in their tracks at retail and also includes a new, attention-grabbing logo. Sour Punch’s “sour somebody” flavor options include  Strikin’ Strawberry, Zappin’ Apple, Blue Razmatazz, Zip-Zappin’ Watermelon, Chargin’ Cherry, Grape Blast, Blitz-n-Berry, and Citrus Strike. The Sour Punch brand offers a variety of fun forms and pack types. Sour Punch Straws are the fun and functional sour chewy candy in the iconic tray package, offered in both 2-oz. and 4.5-oz. sizes as well as a 4.5-oz. hanging bag. Sour Punch Bites are bite-sized, thick and chewy sour candy available in 5.0-oz. hanging bags. Sour Punch brand Twists come in individually wrapped, three-inch fun-size pieces and are available in a 50-count/10-ounce laydown bag, a 125-count/24-oz. laydown bag, and a 225-count/44.5-oz. iconic jar. Sour Punch brand Twists are also available unwrapped as a 5-inch thick and hearty chew piece in a 4-lb. jar. Sour Punch brand Ropes are nine inches of individually wrapped sour chewy candy in a solid rope shape and are sold in 30-count boxes.

Brach’s Holiday Canister Gift Pack features two Brach’s holiday favorites —traditional Peppermint Nougats as well as Brach’s Spearmint and Peppermint StarBrites in Christmas-themed canisters. There are two canisters per set with a to/from sticker for personalization. The canisters are packed six per case.

Available in a 16-oz. bag, Brach’s StarBrite Mix contains a flavor variety of Brach’s Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate and Cinnamon StarBrite mints. Also appropriate for the Christmas season are Brach’s Dark Chocolate Stars, which are suitable for baking, decorating or snacking. The Stars come in a 13-ounce bag, packed 24 to a displayable case.

Candy Dynamics is launching a brand new product, Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge Chew Bar, to join its range of children’s confectionery products. The new chew bar is available in an ultra-sour apple flavor, guaranteed to give kids of all ages something to pucker about. The Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge Chew Bar comes in high impact packaging featuring a bright yellow and black “danger” design to emphasize the sour taste and toxic green color. Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge will be available in mid-summer and has a suggested retail price of 25 cents. It is packaged in a display box of 75 pieces with six display boxes per master carton.

Poppycock, which bills itself as “America’s leading premium caramel popcorn,” is available in four delicious flavors — Original, Pecan Delight, Cashew Lovers and Chocolate Lovers. Poppycock is noted for what the company describes as “our amazing glaze” and is available in premium foil stand-up bags, small and large canisters and boxes.

Making its debut from Ferrero are Ferrero Rondnoir Gift Boxes, available on Christmas 2007 displays. Rondnoir is described as a “refined confection,” filled with a dark chocolate cream and “black pearl” of fine dark chocolate in the center, surrounded by a crisp wafer topped with dark chocolate morsels. Package types include a 1-oz. three-pack with a suggested retail price of $1.09, a 4.2-oz. box with a suggested retail price of $3.29, and a 5.6-oz. box with a suggested retail price of $5.29.

The company also is unveiling a new mix for Christmas 2007 — it’s the Ferrero Prestige Assortment comprised of Ferrero Rocher fine hazelnut chocolate, Ferrero Rondnoir fine dark chocolate, and Ferrero Garden Coco, an almond coconut confection. Prestige assortments include a 4.5-oz. tree gift box with a suggested retail price of $5.99, a 5.5-oz. rectangular gift box with a suggested retail price of $5.99, and 8.8-oz. diamond gift box with a suggested retail price of $9.49. Also available from Ferrero for next Christmas are the 8.9-oz. Ferrero Rocher gift cube with a suggested retail price of $12.89 and the 7-oz. Ferrero Rocher Classic Bell with a suggested retail price of $7.49.

Aplets & Cotlets, Berry Delights, Fruit Delights, Fruit Tropicals and Fruit Chocolates Holiday Gift Boxes feature candies made with real fruit juices, fruit purees and premium nuts. The ingredients are slow-simmered together to condense the rich flavors and bring a smooth texture to the candies. The candy is hand-packed into 8-oz. and 12-oz. gift boxes, which carry suggested retail prices of $3.99 and $5.99 respectively. They are available in 12-count, open-stocked cases, 48-count shippers and a variety of display PDQs.

Holiday 2007 options from Seattle Chocolates include the Celebrate! 1.5 oz. box perfectly sized as an “add on” gift with a card and to encourage multiple sales. Mint and dark chocolate flavors are offered; the suggested retail price is $2.50 to $2.99. The Celebrate! box comes packaged 12 units per display case featuring truffle photo. The 1.5-oz. Snowflake box makes an impression thanks to its color scheme of black with vibrant red and gold foil. Flavors are mint and dark chocolate, and the suggested retail price is $2.50 to $2.99. The Snowflake box comes 12 units per display case; the display case features a truffle photo. Also available from Seattle is the 8 oz. Snowflake box, which is new to the Christmas line. It features bright gold and red foil against a deep, rich black background; the suggested retail price is $9.99 to $12.50. Assorted flavors are mint, dark chocolates, espresso and peanut butter. It comes packaged six straight in a case, or retailers may select a PDQ display with an assortment of boxes. The Snowflake PDQ display features truffle photo in an easy-to-merchandise display box.

Kandy Kastle, a division of MultiZEN foods, is launching a new line-up of Halloween candies to be shown for the first time at ECRM. Sure to attract attention are the Monster Mallow Spring Pops complete with 3-D heads made of marshmallow. With a flip of the wrist, these pops spring back and forth. Also featured in the line-up is the Bite Me Mallow Burger, a pumpkin marshmallow face burger complete with “cheese” and “bun.” The Take Out Sweet ‘n Sour Monsters come with chopsticks, which makes it possible to consume the sweet and sour gummy monsters in authentic “Chinese dining” style. All three items have a suggested retail price of 99 cents and come 12 to a display box, two boxes in a case.

The Lindt Holiday 2007 Collection offers a wide range of products to cover a multitude of consumer usage occasions. Stocking stuffers include Lindt’s 3.5 oz. Milk Snowman, the newest addition to the line, and the Gold Reindeer, the company’s most popular hollow figure in milk chocolate. Candy dish items include an 8.5 oz. bag of 60% Extra Dark Lindor Truffles, the fastest growing flavor of Lindt’s most popular brand. Gift items include fun Lindor packages, like the Snowman Truffle Elegance box featuring Lindt’s seasonal flavor: a milk chocolate shell with a smooth melting white center, or the Lindor Ornaments as well as Lindt’s exquisite pralines. The successful Lindt Classics assortments will be featured with a red seasonal lid in tandem with the recently launched dark chocolate assortment.

Dorval announces the addition of Elizabeth Shaw to its portfolio of brands. The product range includes Chocolate Crisps, Irish Cream Truffles, Famous Names Liqueurs and Vodka Shots. Chocolate Crisps are foil-wrapped chocolates with honeycomb crisps available in three varieties: Milk Chocolate Crisps with Mint, Dark Chocolate Crisps with Mint and Dark Chocolate Crisps with Orange. Seven-ounce packages come in eight-count case packs. Irish Cream Truffles come in 5.9-oz. cream-colored boxes, packed eight to a case; they combine fine milk chocolate with classical Irish cream liqueur. Famous Names Dark Chocolate Liqueurs are selections of high quality dark chocolates combined with a variety of smooth liqueur centers; 3.8 and 6.8-oz. boxes each come in eight-count case packs. Vodka Shots boast smooth Russian vodka covered in milk chocolate with four different flavors packaged in trendy tube packaging. The 6.8-oz. packages come in eight-count packs.

Shonfeld’s assortment of Christmas items offers a broad range of gift-giving options packaged in mugs as well as boot- and Christmas tree-shaped containers. Candy options include designer jelly beans, gummies, gum balls and more, available at low price points. Year-round designs are also available.

A variety of product options featuring Cadbury Adams’ Sour Patch Kids and/or Swedish Fish are offered for Halloween 2007. Sour Patch Kids are sour coated and sweet candy pieces available in orange, lime, lemon and berry flavors. Swedish Fish is a soft and chewy candy that delivers a rush of fruit flavor in each bite. Halloween items include: Sour Patch Kids Treatsize 10.2-oz. laydown bag (24 bags per display case); Swedish Fish Treatsize 10.2-oz. laydown bag (24 bags per display case); Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish Treatsize, 25-count laydown bag (12 bags per display case); Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish Treatsize 50-count laydown bag (18 bags per display case); and Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish Treatsize 115-count laydown bag (9 bags per display case).

Pop Rocks offers a variety of items to keep the fun coming at Halloween. At .33-oz., Pop Rocks Pumpkin Patch singles deliver the fun of Pop Rocks with orange flavored rocks; they are available in 36-count display boxes and 144-count shippers. Pop Rocks Dips Spooky Orange is a .63-oz. item with orange flavored rocks and a black lollipop available in 30-count display boxes and 144-count shippers. The Pop Rocks Halloween laydown bag features 20 mini pouches available in a 12-count PDQ case. And, finally, the 14-count box, new edition of Build Your Own Skeleton Pop features seven unique body parts that snap easily together to make a 20-inch skeleton.

For the first time in its long history, Lance’s Tom’s brand is offering seasonal packaging. Festive, holiday-themed one-pound laydown bags for both Halloween and Christmas 2007 contain 65 – 75 Peanut Butter Twist Logs. A 24-count, two-color tear-away case also boasts fun, seasonal designs. The brand celebrates its nostalgic roots (which extend back to 1926); all packaging features a burst that states, “Remember when you were a kid?”

Capitalizing on the success of the new designs and products introduced for Christmas 2006, Sunrise Confections is offering three new “Big Bags” for the upcoming holiday season. Packed in 12-count cases, the items include 15-oz. Peppermint Starlights, 20-oz. Holiday Wreaths, and 20-oz. Holiday Spice Drops. As with the smaller bags, bright, colorful graphics and large callouts simplify product differentiation, while metalized silver ink ornaments make the package “pop” off the shelf.  In addition, windows on the front, back and side of the bags allow consumers to see the high quality product inside no matter how the package is turned.  These Big Bags also present higher-ring opportunities for retailers, thus creating a win-win situation for retailer and consumer alike.

For the Christmas season, .33 oz. Pop Rocks Candy Cane singles provide a peppermint-flavored version of Pop Rocks; they are available in 18-count display boxes and 144-count shippers. The Pop Rocks Candy Cane Fun Size features 36 mini pouches of peppermint-flavored rocks available in 12-count PDQ cases. The Pop Rocks Nostalgia Retro Tin delivers the fun of Pop Rocks in a tin that also is a bank; it contains eight mini pouches of Pop Rocks.

Arcor offers a long list of holiday items for Christmas 2007. They include Arcor’s Deluxe Mix in three- and four-pound gift tins. This premium mix of candies includes strawberry candies filled with cream, chocolate filled mints, butter and cream toffees, soft chews filled with mint cream toffees, soft chews filled with chocolate toffees and fruit-filled candies. The tins are packed in display-ready cases in three colors or club pallets. Arcor’s Sweet Indulgence stand-up bag features an assortment of gourmet soft chews filled with cream in five flavors: Chocolate filled with black cherry, chocolate filled with mint, double chocolate, caramel and coffee. The 24-oz. bags are packed 12 per display-ready case. Also available for the holidays are an assortment of premium chocolate bonbons in 6-oz. house-shaped boxes. Flavor varieties include strawberry covered in chocolate, Irish cream covered in chocolate and almond cream covered in chocolate.

The venerable Snoopy is prominently displayed on a variety of Halloween products from Arcor. A 120-count laydown bag features Snoopy’s Assorted Pops, bubble gum-filled fruity, tongue-coloring lollipops. They are packed in a display-ready case in three colors; 12 bags per case. Snoopy’s Smiley Gumballs are candy-coated 2.5-gram bubble gum balls. Each 18-oz. bag is packed in a display-ready case in three colors; 12 bags per case. Among Arcor’s other Halloween offerings is Snoopy’s Halloween Kiddie Mix created to deliver great value for the consumer with a mix of hard candy, chews, bubble gum and fruit hard pops. Three- four- and five-pound bags come 12 per case. The Kiddie Mix is packed in display-ready cases in three colors.

Original Gourmet Food Company has been in the gourmet food business since 1996. The brand is well known; products can be found in most major retail stores, clubs and specialty stores throughout the United States. The company prides itself on its commitment to value and high quality, not to mention its award-winning products.

OGFC’s gourmet line includes cookies, fudge, lollipops and crème wafers. A line of various packaging options is offered including private label as well as free graphic services and custom-designed tins. With bakeries throughout the United States, Original Gourmet Food Company has the capacity to bake more than a million cookies each day. The products have a shelf life of six to nine months.

Euro-American Brands now is carrying the La Vie line of hard candies. La Vie naturally flavored hard candy drops come in classic circular tins that are two ounces in size. The shapes of the candies match their fruit flavor and are available in nine varieties: Pastillines, Orange, Raspberry, Strawberry, Espresso, Lemon, Cherry, Peppermint and Tropicales.

Euro-American Brands is introducing two new Ritter Bars — a 3.5-ounce Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Mousse as well as a 3.5-oz. Ritter Sport Extra Fine Dark Chocolate 71% Cocoa bar. Also available are 2.4-oz. Manner Milk Chocolate Covered Hazelnut Wafers.

Each festive holiday pack contains freshmints, spearmints and cinnamon flavors. The new item is available in September 2007 as a 24-count counter display or a 60-count floorstand. The suggested retail price is $2.59.

Brach’s Milk Maid Caramel Candy Corn is a gourmet treat that combines the flavor of Brach’s Candy Corn with the rich, creamy taste of Milk Maid Caramels for a fun seasonal combination. The combo may be enjoyed straight from the bag, in a candy dish, as a topping, or mixed with peanuts for a sweet and salty snack, the company suggests. Brach’s Milk Maid Caramel Candy Corn comes in a 9.5-oz. bag packed 24 per display case. Also available is a Brach’s Milk Maid Caramel Apple Candy Corn variety.

Individually wrapped 14g gummies come in a fun eyeball shape. They are available in five colors and fruit flavors and packed in a “blood-lined” protective tray. The eyeballs come in a reusable plastic 50-count jar packed six jars per case.

The National Confectioners Association and ECRM have joined forces for the NCA/ECRM Candy Marketplace slated for Feb. 18-22 at The Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo. The products featured in this "ECRM Focus" section will be among the many new offerings presented by candy vendors at the event.

What are the most popular types of Valentine snack* packages?
(Among those who consumed food that was themed for Valentine's Day, the percentage of respondents who answered yes to having a product themed as follows)**
Packaging Theme	% of Respondents
Valentine Color (red, white, pink)	53%
Valentine Shape	28%
Heart-Shaped Tin/Box	19%
Other	32%
*Snack foods defined as candy, gum, breath mints, cookies and snack cakes **More than one response permitted Source: The NPD Group/Snack Track; consumption tracked during the two-week period Feb. 8 – 21, 2006