Friends and family will likely remember “Paula’s Red Hot Marathon of 2006.” No, it wasn’t a fiery run; it was my shamless order of three cases of Red Hots direct from the manufacturer to be shipped to my door, and the consumption that ensued. I’m blaming the new baby hormones.

Red Hots have always been my candy of choice. There’s something about that hot flavor getting stuck in my teeth that epitomizes how a candy should behave. And let me clarify: Red Hots are the BRAND; the generics are called cinnamon imperials. I’ve had the knock-offs, and believe me, there is only one Red Hot.

Ferrara Pan is the creator of the Red Hot, and the company brand has an interesting history. Created as a namesake for the founder, Salvatore Ferrara, Ferrara Pan was founded in 1908 in Chicago, Illinois. The word “pan” in the company name indicates that some of the candy they make is “panned”. This process involves building candy pieces from single units, such as grains of sugar, nuts or candy centers, tossing them in revolving pans while adding the flavor, color and other candy ingredients. This process continues until the pieces become the desired size. Finally, the candy gets a high polish with an edible vegetable wax, which gives it an attractive appearance.

In terms of branding, the company has retained a functional, yet personality-infused continuity with its line of products: Red Hots, LemonHead, Atomic FireBall, Jaw Busters, Boston Baked Beans, Black Forest Gummies, and Ferrara Chocolates. With the exception of the Boston Baked Beans, I can look at their candy lineup and know exactly what I’m getting.

Check out the company’s virtual tours of “How Panned Candy Is Made.” And if you see a box (or bag) of Red Hots at the convenience store, pick one up for me.

Maybe it’s our sense of whimsy … Maybe it’s our roots as hunter/gatherers … whatever the explanation, whether you prefer a handful of cheesy goldfish or a fresh box of animal crackers, there is no denying the fun in biting into something that could bite you back.

The gummi bear is arguably the king of critter-shaped snacks, and HARIBO, a German confectionary company founded in 1920, proudly distinguishes itself from the candy masses as the original creator of these malleable mammals. Today, HARIBO is the biggest manufacturer of gummy and jelly candies in the world.

The gummi bear, (known as Gummibar or rubber bear in German), was created after World War II and introduced in the 1960s under the brand Gold-Bears. An instant success, the product has since seen several flavor and shape variations, with brand extensions such as Snack-packs, Roulettes, and Happy Cola. More intriguing sub-brands like Starmix, Tangfastics, Kiddies Supermix, Maoam and Strawbs can be found abroad. The candy even inspired a late 80s television show, Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears (though I personally found that to be the least palatable of the brand’s many extensions).

Although Trolli and many others have created formidable gummi competition, the original Gold Bears, with their iconic gold, red and black packaging, have dominated their space for a half-century and show no signs of slowing down. After all, as the tagline says, “kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of HARIBO.”

And if you were wondering, there is a reason why HARIBO appears in all-caps; the name is an acronym–borrowing the first two letters of the founder’s first and last name, Hans Riegel, as well as the first two letters of the location of the corporate headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

Contributed by: Maghan Cook

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Reading one article after another about parents and schools taking extra precautions to try to prevent the spread of the swine flu among kids got me thinking: with Halloween just around the corner, will the swine flu pandemic affect how parents feel about their kids trick-or-treating?

Halloween was one of my personal favorite holidays growing up. I can’t imagine missing the crucial candy stocking day of the year because my mom thought that I might get sick. On the other hand, let’s just visualize for a minute a person putting candy into a bowl and kid, after kid, AFTER KID putting their hands into that bowl…. seems like quite the set-up for a germ haven, don’t you think?

Well, I was surprised to discover that there aren’t many flu fear articles written specifically about Halloween. Hopefully parents’ fears are subsiding, but I won’t be shocked one bit if I answer my door to a few trick-or-treaters wearing gloves this year or some other form of protective wear. I did find one article that offers a Halloween checklist for parents. Here’s step number 9: “Pack hand sanitizer. Your little one should sanitize his or her hands between houses.” This led me to my next thought that the upcoming holiday will only continue to increase the already high sanitizer sales. Continue Reading »

After much rivalry, smack-talk, and closed-door sessions, the 2008 pumpkin line-up was revealed yesterday for AW’s Third Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Each year, the competition gets more fierce, and this year was no exception. Teams pulled out all the stops … giving their pumpkins personalites, acting out skits, and even injecting a little multi-media into their presentations.

Check out the amazing entries below.
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