The National Confectioners Association returned to Chicago's McCormick Place May 19-21 with its Sweets & Snacks Expo, an industry/media event that featured more than three and a half acres of candy and snack items. ( There were also keynote speeches from people such as Bill O'Reilly. )
The main exhibit did showcase one of the main trends in snacks: items that are more healthful. There were brands such as Goodness Knows, which sells bite-size squares with dark chocolate and nuts; Phoney Baloney's, a manufacturer of Coconut Bacona vegan, gluten-free bacon substitute; and The Athletic Kitchen, a company behind Protein Bites. The turn toward health also included using organic items and reducing serving size.
That's not to say that there weren't tons of good old-fashioned snacks that have retained their deliciousness. Seeing M&Ms, candy necklaces and bags of Wise potato chips could easily take one down memory lane. There were even snacks packed in innovative ways: Scripture Candy, anyone?
Photos and text by Andrew Davis