by Marion Nestle
Dec 5 2019

Annals of marketing: functional (CBD, vitamins) gummy candies and chewing gums

ConfectionaryNews.com, a daily newsletter from this industry, has a Special Edition: The Rise of Functional Jellies.

“Functional,” you may recall, means something added over and above what is in the food to begin with.  In the case of gummy bears, it means added vitamins, minerals, herbals, or, these days, CBD.

The demand for functional jellies is growing with herbal extracts, cannabinoids and vitamins proving a good fit with the mainstream candy sector.

One of the quickest ways of getting nutrients into the body is via gums or jellies.

“Gummies have a slightly nostalgic feeling of something that we had as children, but in this version, it is completely transformed into a product that we can feel good about eating and that can easily fit into a healthy diet for kids and adults,” said ​Amanda Vagochik, VP of innovation at SinnovaTek.

In the articles below we look at how street-smart entrepreneurs are disrupting the industry with innovation and a fresh attitude and how CBD edibles are also changing the landscape of functionality in candy.