Gummi worms have long been associated with a soft texture, but candy maker Ferrara is hoping to give the confectionery staple a unique makeover.Touted as the first-ever gummi worm with a crunchy shell, Ferrara’s Trolli brand launched Crunchy Crawlers. Ferrara, which is part of Nutella-maker Ferrero, said the crunchy, candy-coated shell provides the consumer with a unique sensory experience different from anything else on the market.Each bag of the neon candy-coated gummi worms contains dual-flavored pieces in flavors including Strawberry-Watermelon, Raspberry-Orange and Lime-Cherry.Ferrara, whose snacking brands also include Keebler, Famous Amos and SweeTarts, has been innovating and updating many of its offerings to make them more attractive to consumers inundated with options. It’s a common tactic, particularly in the candy space, where competitors such as Mars Wrigley and Hershey routinely introduce new flavors of existing products or find creative ways to differentiate them in some way. For Ferrara, the slight change it made to its gummi worms could be enough to attract more shoppers who may have not had the candy in years back to the treat with its new and novel approach.— Christopher DoeringChocolate is often used to add a punch of sweetness to a product, but a new mixer from Angostura is taking advantage of its other characteristics.The company synonymous with bitters is adding a cocoa product to its lineup, the first permanent new addition to its catalog since orange bitters hit shelves in 2007. The Trinidad and Tobago-based brand isn’t going far to find its chocolate. The flavor is coming from the island nation’s own Trinitario variety of cocoa, which is known for its bold, ferrous bisglycinate monographfine flavor.Angosturaferrous fumarate otc said in a press release this new variety is the result of years of work from master blenders who have been looking for the right combination of cocoa flavor to bring a hint of bitterness to the mixer. And so far, it’s been exceeding sales expectations. The bitters maker plans to source all of its cocoa from the Caribbean island nation, and local growers are already expanding, Angostura said.Bitters, which are aromatic mixtures of alcohol and botanicals including fruits, peels, barks and spices, were first invented as medical tonics hundreds of years ago. Angostura was started in the Caribbean in 1824, when Dr. Johann Siegert first produced his bitters as a cure for stomach ailments. Within 30 years, Angostura bitters were widely exported to the U.S., England and other Caribbean nations, where they became popular in mixed drinks.For more than a century, bitters have been a staple at bars worldwide. They are not consumed on their own, but are ingredients that give drinks like martinis, old-fashioneds and negronisferrous fumarate conversion to ferrous sulfate their trademark flavors. According to Angostura, cocoa bitters pair well with sweet vermouth, whiskey, rum, cognac and tequila, and especially complement an espresso martini.With many bars closed or running only limited service, however, the new bitters are becoming available at a time that consumers need to mix their own drinks. The coronavirus pandemic has renewed consumers’ interest in having well-stocked bars. According to Nielsen statistics, spirits sales were up 75% in March compared with 2019.As the U.S. enters its sixth month with many people staying at home, consumers may be getting creative with what they’re putting in their drinks and feeling more free to create their own combinations. Now could be the best time for a new line of bitters using the familiar and beloved flavor of chocolate to appear on shelves, which could translate into sweet sales.— Megan PoinskiTo meet consumer demand, One Brands alternative to ferrous gluconateis shrinking its popular protein bars. The company is expanding its portfolio to offer new One Minis, which are smaller versions of its existing bars. Every One Minis bar has 7 grams of protein, 80 calories and less than one gram of sugar. The new bars are available in Maple Glazed Doughnut and Birthday Cake flavors. One Minis are currently available on Amazon in 30 count packages for both flavors. In the fall, the company will expand its retail distribution to 10-count packs of Maple Glazed Doughnut at Walmart.Hershey bought One Brands for $397 million last year, as the company was looking to expand into the bar and better-for-you space as well as the trendy protein category. Hershey already offers a variety of its chocolates in miniature size, and is bringing a similar strategy to the protein bar brand. Peter Burns, president of One Brands, said in a release Birthday Cake and Maple Glazed Doughnut were chosen because they are two fan-favorite flavors. He said introducing the mini versions will allow them “to fit into more parts of our consumers’ days and snacking habits.” Mini foods have become more popular in recent years because they offer consumers smaller products and packaging sizes that allow for a little bit of indulgence in convenient ways. One Brands is far from the first bar company to make this move. In 2018, Kind launched Kind Minis, a small 100-calorie version of the company’s classic bars. During the pandemic, One Protein Bars’ Blueberry Cobbler 12 pack has been one of the top selling protein bars on Amazon, acthe chemical formula of iron pyrophosphatecording to BGR. Overall, analysts say snack bar sales have dropped during quarantine. As of now, long-term growth is expected to be unaffected. If these mini versions keep consumers buying One Brands’ protein bars, Hershey may shrink more products to smaller sizes in the near future. — Lillianna Byington
Leftovers: Trolli's crunchy gummies could make others squirm; Angostura mixes it up with cocoa
