Extreme!!

http://www.confectionerynews.com/Formulation/Extreme-flavors-becoming-mainstream-says-new-report

Another article from ConfectionaryNew.com talking about how "extreme" flavors are rising in popularity. It references the CCD, Center for Culinary Development. I serach them and found a page on how they track trends

http://www.ccdsf.com/trends/trendmapping.php

Fox 29 News

Okay, so this does not count as a source BUT i thought it was interesting. I'm watching over the news and they're talking about how tastykake is going out of business. One of the main reasons for the company's financial struggle is the high prices of cocoa and sugar! Just goes to show that this is still a trend in candies!

Chocolate!

http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2009/06/29/is-chocolate-recession-proof.html

I think the confection business is one that people don't think is recession proof but this article says differently. People eat candy and chocolate all year around as a pick me up

http://www.icco.org/about/about.aspx

I had no idea there was a national cocoa association

Japanese Candy

http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/asi/5427-eng.pdf


Here's a PDF project of Japan's candy market in March 2010. Done by the agriculture and food Bureau of canada. The article not only talks about Japan's place in the scope of the entire Chinese Candy Marke but also how chocolate bars and cereals do within japan.

ConfectioneryNews.com

This site is exactly what it sounds like. Some articles i don't quite understand such as an article talking about natural coloring and the sustainability of a product. Not sure how those two things relate BUT the site has a lot of articles about candy developments. Here's an article dealing with what qualifies as natural flavors and colors:

http://www.confectionerynews.com/On-your-radar/Natural-Colours-and-Flavourings/What-natural-means-in-food-regulations

In another article the production of cocoa Malaysia has incorporated computers to help heat the cocoa as well as help with cost calculations

http://www.confectionerynews.com/On-your-radar/Cocoa-supply/New-process-method-could-boost-Malaysian-cocoa-output

CocoaVia

Okay so perhaps not the most credible search seeing as it's the official site BUT at least it gives an idea how hershey is marketing this stuff.

http://www.cocoavia.com/the-wonders-of-cocoavia/

Sugar free = I don't eat it

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/14/hershey-health-candy-cx_sy_0315feat_ls.html

For the record, i am totally against making candy healthy. its candy! But i guess in this day and age health foods are selling more and more

Look at the candy that was at a party i was at