Photo: National Jelly Bean Day is April 22 but visitors to Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, Calif.  (home to the world's first beer flavored Jelly Bean) have a blast during free tours that include samples of the latest flavors.   "Chocolate and Wine Experience" features select wines from Suisun Valley wineries, hand-made confections from the Jelly Belly Chocolate Shoppe and Chocolate Confections from the Makers of Jelly Belly.

CANDY STATS:

• Global confectionery industry totals nearly $137 billion
• 22 of top 100 candy companies are in the US
• Top candy company in the world is Mars of McLean, VA. (Subsidiaries Wrigley Jr. Company) Milky Way, M&M's, Twix, Skittles, Snickers, and the Mars bar, exceeds $16 billion in sales
• 2nd largest candy company is Mondelez  (former Kraft Foods) of Deerfield, Ill. (Oreo; Chips Ahoy!; TUC; Belvita; Triscuit; Club Social; and Barni), chocolate (Milka, Côte d'Or, Toblerone, and Cadbury Dairy Milk), and gum and candy (Trident, Chiclets, Halls, Stride, and Cadbury Dairy Milk Eclairs)
• Three  California candy companies rank in top 100: Sees Products of South San Francisco (#35), Clif Bar of Emeryville (#51), Jelly Belly of Fairfield (#66)

While legislators wildly push for taxes on sugary sodas and candy, if trends showcased at the Candy Convention in Rancho Mirage continue, they'll be taking on the nuts. Candy manufacturers are working to remove the unhealthy” stigma with more & more sweets featuring almonds, honey, fruits and even probiotics.

I WANT CANDY!

• Essential fiber may be found in Fiber One Fruit Flavored Snacks
• Chocolate flavonoids can guard against diabetes, inflammation
• Almonds may help combat diabetes Cinnamon lowers blood glucose
• Blue Monkey's Coconut Chips (Burlingame, Calif.) contain no sugar, come in wasabi and ginger flavors
• Sconza Candy Company (sconzacandy.com) of Oakdale produces gourmet snacks such as roasted almonds covered in white chocolate and key lime
• Jelly Belly beans are are vegetarian and free of gelatin, gluten, fat and dairy

Munch on some snack facts!

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