Sweets & Snacks: Olly Co-Founder’s New Venture, ‘Big Candy’ Talks War on Synthetic Food Dyes

Olly Co-Founder Enters Functional Candy Space

Functionality has touched nearly every corner of the food and beverage industry, and candy is no exception.

One of the newest players in the space is Tandy, the functional candy brand created by Eric Ryan, the co-founder of supplement maker Olly and first aid essentials brand Welly Health. The 11-month-old brand, which debuted in Target last year, produces a line of gummy supplements supporting various wellness needs, from Mellow Melons to Stress Heads to Focus Fish.

At the show, Tandy – which operates under the tagline “Not candy. Something better.” – highlighted its newly updated packaging featuring more prominent product photography, solid-colored backdrops and callouts of specific functional ingredients used in its different varieties (L-theanine, ginseng, caffeine, probiotics).

According to Ryan, Tandy was, in part, born out of an observation during his time at Olly that consumers were searching for supplements they could snack on. Whereas many supplement brands have a serving size of one or two gummies, Tandy’s functional candy comes in a 1.41 oz. single-serve bag.

Tandy’s executive team comprises several former Olly veterans, including CEO Jessica Heitz (former chief revenue officer at Olly), CSO Katie Schultz (former VP of sales strategy at Olly) and CMO Emily Zwerner (former VP of marketing at Olly).

Other functional candy brands exhibiting at the show were AWAKE Chocolate, an Ontario-based confectionery brand that produces a portfolio of caffeinated chocolate; protein-rich tablet chocolate maker Chocotein; and prebiotic-packed gummy producer Rotten, which recently launched Gummy Cruncheez.

Newstalgia Continues to Resonate

“Newstalgia,” a trend where brands and products draw inspiration from the past while offering a fresh, modern twist, flooded the aisles of the show floor as consumers seek comfort amidst economic and political uncertainty.

Nothing screams nostalgia quite like the American lunchbox staple, peanut butter and jelly. Confectionery giants like Mars, Inc. and The Hershey Company are bringing the flavor profile into new product formats, including PB&J M&Ms and Reese’s PB&J Big Cup (available in Grape and Strawberry varieties).

Elsewhere, Utz took inspiration from a classic summertime beverage for its latest limited-edition chip flavor: Lemonade. The new offering was created in collaboration with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a childhood cancer charity.

And, if you’ve ever wanted popping candy that freshens your breath, there’s candy category newcomer Breathrox. Offered in four flavors – Blue Raspberry, Cinnamon, Mint and Watermelon – the breath mints are available on the brand’s website for $24.99 per 6 tubes.

What’s behind this trend? According to a report by Mintel, nostalgia marketing is on the rise as food and beverage consumers continue to seek out products and experiences that capture the feeling of familiarity and safety of the past, especially in times of conflict and uncertainty. The sentimental longing for the good times of an idealized past is a strong selling point.

Chifles Goes National With Kroger

While potato chips remain one of the dominant players in the salty snack category, plantain chips are gaining popularity as a better-for-you, flavorful alternative. Latin-owned, family-run Chifles Chips exhibited at Sweets & Snacks for the first time as it readies to significantly expand its distribution footprint.

The 60-year-old company has grown 6x in the last six years, according to strategic advisor Bill Shen. Currently, most of Chifles’ sales are in the Southeast (Costco, Walmart, Publix, Kroger) and the East/Northeast, but the brand is slated to go national with Kroger later this year.

‘Big Candy’ Addresses War on Synthetic Dyes

Late last month, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new voluntary directive to phase out eight synthetic food dyes used in the formulations of food products, including candy. At the show, we spoke with confectionery giant Ferrara – the maker of brands like SweeTARTS, Brach’s, Nerds and Laffy Taffy – executives’ plan to address the directive.

“It’s an evolving situation that’s evolving quickly, and we’re going to comply with all the laws and regulations and we’re looking at what the action plan will be. We proactively put together a cross-functional task force to figure out how we can execute against what may happen,” said Katie Duffy, VP of global brands at Ferrara.

The Hershey Company recently shared its own plans during its Q1 earnings call, with CEO Michelle Buck telling analysts and shareholders that the company’s “highest priority is always around the safety and quality of our products, and we’ve proactively to stay ahead of where regulation might be headed. We’ve had work underway on natural coloring for quite some time.”

Meanwhile, Dum-Dums lollipops and Sweethearts maker Spangler Candy Company recently told Bloomberg that it stands by its bright dyes. According to Kirk Vashaw, CEO at Spangler, the company has been using artificial dyes for roughly 50 years and “‘ we believe they’re safe.’”