Skittles Riddles candy

A panel of experts made up of retail customers, food industry icons and trend experts, helped NCA narrow down the field of entrants. Nearly 200 products were submitted for consideration. The panel analyzed packaging, concepts and salability of each entry and had the opportunity to taste the products in their effort to select the top 40 items among eight categories. On the first day of the SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO, retail and wholesale trade customers had the final vote to select the best in each category.

"The EXPO's new product tasting session has been not only one of the most unique and diverse as far as product submissions, but also one of the most fun and flavorful events to collaborate on," said Phil Lempert, food trends editor for NBC's TODAY Show and panel moderator. "Where else but at the SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO will you find cocoa-flavored freezer pops up against habanero corn nuggets, bacon and chocolate-flavored popcorn and sour gel-filled pens? All of the EXPO's panel participants were true professionals who were not afraid to infuse a little fun in the process."

Announced at a keynote session during the EXPO, the nominees and winners in each category are as follows:

Chocolate
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Hammond's Candies - Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Milk Chocolate Bar
Nominees:
The Hershey Company - HERSHEY's Milk Chocolate with Almonds PIECES
The Hershey Company - ROLO Minis
Wild Ophelia - Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky Bar
Wild Ophelia - Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter and Banana Bar

Non chocolate
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company - Skittles Riddles
Nominees:
Haribo of America, Inc. - Haribo Ginger-Lemon Gummi Candy
Just Born, Inc. - HOT TAMALES 3 ALARM
The Hershey Company - ICE BREAKERS DUO Mints - Strawberry
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company - Orbit Spotlight Series^TM Melon Remix^TM

Sweet snacks
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. - Nutella & Go!
Nominees:
Lowell International Foods - SesaKiss
The Promotion in Motion Companies, Inc - Juicefuls Fruit Wave
Setton International Foods, Inc. - Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites
Sheila G Brands LLC - Sheila G's Brownie Brittle

Salty snacks
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Mars Chocolate North America - M &M'S Brand Snack Mix
Nominees:
Gourmet Basics -Smart Fries Popped Potato Sticks Garlic & Rosemary
Plocky's Fine Snacks - Plocky's Greek Lemon Herb Hummus Chips
Flamous Brands - Falafel Chips
Jack Links - Big Dippers

Savory
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Nopal Bros. - Nopal Bros. Sweet & Spicy Dried Cactus Snack
Nominees:
Cornfields, Inc. - Hi I'm Skinny Sticks Sweet Onion
Cornfields, Inc. - Hi I'm Skinny Sticks Tangy Barbeque
Gracious Gifts - FixMix^TM Chocolate Caramel Pretzels
Holy Cow, LLC - Lord Nut Levington El Cheddarales Peanuts

Novelty / licensed
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Jelly Belly Candy Company - Jelly Belly UNO Game Box
Nominees:
Amerilab Technologies, Inc. - Fizzies Drink Tablets, Grape
Impact Confections - WARHEADS Sour Dippers
Jel Sert Company - Fla-Vor Ice Fudge Pops (Made with HERSHEYS's Chocolate)
Magic Straws, LLC - got milk? Cotton Candy Magic Milk Flavoring Straw

Seasonal
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Mars Chocolate North America - M &M'S Brand Candy Corn White Chocolate Candies
Nominees:
Brown & Haley - Dark Chocolate Peppermint ROCA
Just Born, Inc. - 3 ct. Milk Chocolate Dipped Caramel Flavored PEEPS Chicks
Just Born, Inc. - 4 ct. Package PEEPS Chicks Rainbow POP (assorted colors of red, green and white)
Praim Group - Choxcard

Gourmet / premium
Most Innovative New Product Winner:

Brown & Haley - Dark ROCA
Nominees:
Cornelia Confections - Pecan Chipotle Brittle
Holy Cow, LLC - Lord Nut Levington Rebel Mary Peanuts
Nature's Habit - Nature's Habit Trail Mix Cranberries, Cherries, Raisins, Almonds & Pecans
Too Haute Cowgirls Popcorn Confections - Have Bacon Will Travel

"The Awards nomination really did drive traffic to our booth," commented Margie Walter about Haribo's nominated Lemon-Ginger Gummi Candy. "Attendees were coming up saying, 'I want to try that new product.' It was really valuable for us." Meanwhile, Brown & Haley's new Dark Roca won top honors in the gourmet category. Brown & Haley CEO Pierson Clair said of the nomination, "Being recognized by our peers speaks volumes about our commitment to quality and our desire to delight consumers throughout the world."

NCA President Larry Graham noted that that in any given year about 30 percent of all confectionery sales are attributed to products launched in the previous 24 months. "Innovation is an essential part of the confectionery and snacks industry," said Graham. "Last year there were nearly 4,800 new candy and snack items launched in the U.S., many of them making their debut at the SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO."

The 2013 Most Innovative New Product Awards will be presented at next year's SWEETS & SNACK EXPO to be held in Chicago, May 21 - 23, 2013.

The National Confectioners Association fosters industry growth by advancing the interests of the confectionery industry and its customers. Serving as the voice of the industry, the Association advocates for the needs of the industry before government bodies, helps the industry understand and implement food safety and other regulations, provides information to help members strengthen business in today's competitive environment and creates relationships between all sectors of the industry including manufacturers, brokers, trade customers, suppliers to the industry and our consumers.

Source: National Confectioners Association via GlobeNewswire
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