Sweet News

It was a week filled with big announcements. In trade there was another 90 day pause on tariffs involving China, bringing then down to 30% for them and 10% for us. In baseball Pete Rose was removed from the ineligible list and now has a chance at the Hall of Fame. In business Boeing has signed a deal to sell its largest order of planes to Qatar, estimated to be worth $96 billion. And proving that God does indeed work in mysterious ways, in religion word came from Rome that a White Sox fan has been elected pope.

If you were keeping up with all these above-the-fold developments, plus the countless other ones that affect the economy, world peace and the very structure of society, you likely missed the big news coming out of Indiana. That's because while you had eyes on the Mideast and the president's first major state visit, or Turkey and the Ukraine/Russia peace talks, or Kashmir and the cease fire between India and Pakistan, in Indianapolis there were making news with the latest developments in sugar and salt at the 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Starting in 1977 as the All Candy Expo in Chicago, the event has broadened and rebranded itself, and now has an attendance of some 15,000 industry professionals. Those buyers, journalists and reviewers wander through 1000 exhibitors to look at new products and services related to all the stuff you eat between meals. Product categories include (deep breath) chocolate, candy, gum, salty snacks, cookies, packaged cakes, biscuits, popcorn, granola bars, breakfast snacks, nutrition bars, meat snacks, fruit snacks, nuts, seeds, packaged goods, and ice cream (you can breathe again) as well as the ingredients, packaging and equipment it takes to make all those and sell them. 

Attendees wandering the aisles saw the big guns such as Hershey's (Kisses, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups), Frito-Lay (Doritos and Cheetos) and Mars Wrigley (Snickers and Starburst). In addition, there were lots of smaller boutique manufacturers who are trying to break into the markets. Nomad Snacks had their Pad Thai Flavored Popcorn, breathROX was showing off their Popping Breath Mints in Blue Raspberry, while Snak Club was trying to make an impression with their Ramen Flavored Snack Mix. Some of the big names weren't just sitting still either: Mondelez International (the former Nabisco) was pushing Glow-In-The-Dark Sour Patch Kids candies. 

Those products and others like them reflect the key trends that emerged from the show. Top of the list is the move toward bold flavors, especially those that lean on global cuisines, such as mango habanero popcorn and Dubai-style chocolate (chocolate mixed with pistachio, tahini and knafeh pastry).  In that same vein manufacturers are creating even more flavor mashups such as shortbread cookies with strawberry boba (those are the chewy, sweet pearls made from tapioca starch that are a key ingredient in bubble tea). And there is growth in novel textures, like Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried candies. 

These are reflected in the winners of the various categories for Best In Show. Top prize went to Belle's Gourmet Popcorn and their Matcha Latte creation. In the gummy category Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters in Strawberry Punch took the cup. The chocolate winner was Pop & Sol's Coconut Flaked White Chocolate Covered Cashews, while the novelty category was taken by Ezee Freezee's Freeze-n-Peel Strawberry Pop. And proving there are snacks beyond sugar and salt, the meat winner was Bavarian Meats Original Lil' Landjaeger Individually Wrapped Stick.

But the tease at the top of this column was about big announcements. And there was perhaps none bigger than that from Ferrero. A name well known for their eponymous Ferrero Rocher Chocolates, they also have in their portfolio Famous Amos cookies, Tic Tac mints and Butterfingers, all of which made "news" with product extensions (Famous Amos will add an oatmeal varietal, Tie-tac is partnering with Dr. Pepper, and Butterfingers will have a marshmallow version).

All of that, however, pales next to the flash from their Nutella brand. For the first time in 60 years, the iconic chocolate hazelnut spread announced a new flavor with Nutella Peanut. It was developed especially with the peanut-crazy US market in mind, where consumers gobble down 8 pounds of the legume annually in butters and candies. "We didn't want it to be another peanut butter," said Senior Direct of Marketing Seth Gonzalez. The new product "combines the distinctive creaminess of Nutella cocoa hazelnut spread with the delicious taste of roasted peanuts." As good as that sounds, you'll have to wait a bit: it's slated to be spread in spring of 2026.

As for me, I know what's really important. And so you can set the Google alert on your phone so that it goes off for an update about Diddy or Caitlin Clark or a Supreme Court ruling. Mine will only ping me when the new Reese's Peanut Butter and Jelly cup in strawberry makes an appearance. Now, that's news you can use.

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Marc Wollin of Bedford considers snacks a major food group. His column appears weekly via email and online on Blogspot and Substack as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.