Candy and Vitamin industries Merge

July 9th, 2005

Companies are constantly looking for new markets.  The candy and vitamin industries are no different.  The candy industry has become concerned with nutrition in their products.  Now it could be profitable for them to make their products healthier.  A new trend for this industry is to market vitamin and herb supplemented candy products. 

While we have all probably noticed the onslaught of high priced protein nutrition bars, the expansion is now being seen from jelly beans to gumballs.  The change has occurred in the candy industry as a way exploit a new niche as people pay considerably more for a nutrition fortified product.    

On June 20, 2005, Jelly Belly Candy Company announced Sports Beans®, which is the first of its kind jelly bean that is designed to help energize the body during exercise.   Each one ounce package contains 25 grams of carbohydrates, 20% of the daily value for Vitamins C and E, and 120mg of electrolytes.  The Sports Beans® are sold in single serving size packages; they come in two flavors, orange and lemon lime.   Retail stores should carry these this summer, and if you can’t buy them locally you can order them online from the jelly belly website. 

BestHealth, a division of BestSweet Inc., a manufacturer of candy products for the last 70 years, has developed numerous nutritional supplements delivered in a candy chew or lozenge.  The current series of products are Calcium soft chews, Glucosamine-Chondroitin tablets, Glucosamine-Chondroitin soft chews, Multi-Vitamin Soft Chews, cough drops, zinc lozenges, and vitamin C lozenges.  The newest venture for BestSweet is called XLR8 Energy Chews, which is made of caffeine, ginseng and guarana.  They have signed up stock-car racing star Dale Earnhardt Jr. to endorse it.   A few of these candies will give you the boost of energy similar to drinking a cup of coffee.

The vitamin industry has also fired back with fortified candy. AmeriFit Nutrition a vitamin and supplement manufacturer has marketed a brand called Vitaball® Vitamin Gumballs®.  It has recently added a New Vitaball® Wild ‘N Fruity with Extra Vitamin C in an effort to expand into the children’s vitamin market.   AmeriFit Nutrition found that children where not satisfied with the chalky chewable vitamins supplements that were currently on the market.  Their innovative solution is a new approach that kids enjoy.

Another company called Northwest Natural Products Inc. manufactures the L’il Critters® Gummy Vites® lines is marketing their merchandise through retail outlets including Costco.  They offer the Gummy Vites® in a multi-vitamin, a calcium supplement, and a vitamin C supplement.  The gummy vite bears come in Cherry, Lemon, Strawberry and Orange flavors.  The company also offers Malty Vites malt balls and calcium taffy chews.

Just because these items have supplemental benefits does not mean that they are necessarily good for you.   The electrolytes in the Sports Beans are only necessary when there is sweat involved.  So if you are working out without breaking a sweat the candy supplement is not necessary.  The gumball and gummy bear vitamin supplement should be beneficial for children; however the old chalky chewables may have more vitamins packed into each serving.

The industries are merging.  The vitamin industry is making their vitamins tastier while the candy industry is making their candy more nutritious.  I can’t wait for the ice cream industry to catch up.

By Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer