Archives for the 'candy' tag
Friday Food Song: Liquor is Quicker, but Candy IS Dandy.
I just found out that whoever declares these things has declared June as National Candy Month. It’s a pity that I just found this out, because I could have a lot to say on the topic of candy….so perhaps it’s a blessing that I just found out.
Either way, it does mean I could choose one and only one candy song for this last Friday in June. Boldly ignoring the obvious, I give you the second most obvious–a lyric of joy from the time before excise taxes when candy was fun and made you so happy that your hair curled.
Quick Bites: Sweet and Salty Edition
- Labels mandated by the Country of Origin Labeling laws that went into effect in March are beginning to appear in stores.
- A recent Wall Street Journal Health column chastises Americans for consuming too much salt. In other news, Connecticut-based writer tells Journal columnist to shut the hell up.
- Confectioner makes candy that looks like bacon but tastes like… strawberries.
- Pepsi unleashes two soft drinks for the summer containing beet and cane sugars. Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, which — alas — feature no psychedelia on their bottles, are intended to return consumers to an Age of Aquarius before HFCS harshed our trip. Ride the snake!
- Tiki comes to DC. Let the drunkening begin.
Let Them Eat Candy
Last week, Crispy blogger Katherine blogged about some concerns people have with allowing children to consume too much Halloween candy because it encourages or contributes to child obesity. Well, in recent news, Minnesota dentists have joined the crusade against allowing children to have fun by launching a candy buy-back program:
“[W]e’re sponsoring a day-after Halloween party and candy buy-back program. It’s our opportunity to encourage children and their families to exercise smile-friendly habits all year long — especially as we kick off the holiday season.”
Who: Kids and their families from all over the Twin Cities are invited
What: Turn left over candy into cash. Participating Metro Dentalcare practices are offering to pay $1 per pound of candy to children 12 and under (up to five pounds each child). Kids and their families will be treated to healthy snacks, a free toothbrush, and other games and prizes. Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume. There will be special prizes for the best costumes too.
What happened to, oh I don’t know, disciplining your child and making him brush his teeth?And what do you think these kids are going to do with their $5 – probably buy some chocolate bars to make up for the ones that they were forced to give up.
With Economy Worsening, Hershey’s Starts Selling Mockolate
Last week, our country faced major changes as a result of the worsening economy. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. Bank of America purchased Merrill-Lynch. The Federal Reserve took over AIG in an $85 billion bailout. Even worse though, was Hershey’s decision to stop doing what they do best – manufacturing chocolate. Last Friday, TODAY reported that Hershey, in an effort to cut costs, swapped cocoa butter for vegetable oil in certain products (e.g. Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar, and Krackel):
“The removal of cocoa butter violates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition of milk chocolate, so subtle changes have appeared on the labels of the Hershey’s products with altered recipes. Products once labeled “milk chocolate” now say “chocolate candy,” “made with chocolate” or “chocolatey.”
Some say the label changes are too difficult to spot.
“A lot of people don’t notice it. The package looks exactly the same,” said Cybele May, who has chronicled the changes in detail on her Candy Blog. “I feel betrayed by Hershey’s. They’re giving me an inferior product and they’re not even telling me …”
Blind taste tests revealed that consumers also didn’t notice a difference in taste between the chocolate and the “mockolate.” So, I thought I would try it for myself. I went down to my trusty neighborhood convenience store and bought a Whatchamacallit – the package read, “rich chocolatey coating.” Honestly, I can’t taste the difference, but still – where are the antioxidants? And why doesn’t it melt in my mouth as smoothly? I feel betrayed too Cybele. At least Hersheys kept the cocoa in their Hershey’s Kisses and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Still, I think it’s time for a brand change – back to M&Ms and Snickers for me.
