Snickers introduced Charged - a caffeinated bar

Snickers has been doing the limited edition thing for a while (Dark Chocolate, Xtreme, Nut 'n' Butter and the upcoming Adventure Bar). Today they announced their newest bar, the SNICKERS Charged (TM) bar that provides additional B-vitamins and the stimulants caffeine and taurine.

To meet consumer needs and help millions of Americans take back their energy-zapped afternoons, SNICKERS(R) Brand is proclaiming the post-lunch, pre-dinner hour between two and three p.m. the SNICKERS Charged(TM) Re-Power Hour.

SNICKERS Charged(TM) contains 60 milligrams of caffeine. This compares to the caffeine content of other products:

• 8-ounce soft drink contains 20-40 milligrams
• 8-ounce regular coffee contains 65-120 milligrams
• 8-ounce energy drink contains 72-80 milligrams

More at Snickers.com

UPDATE: I got a hold of some to taste test. It's a little smaller than a regular Snickers, tastes pretty much the same but there's a slight bitter aftertaste. Still, less expensive than a cup of coffee most places!

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Kazana Tonic Bars

It seems no matter how many new candy bars I come across, I continue to find some made from ingredients I've never heard of before.

Kazana Tonic Bars are made by a company called Komal Herbals, Inc. of Sewickley, PA. They make a product called, "Praas", which they describe as a tonic, but what appears to be more like a fruit jam.


The base of Praas is the Indian Gooseberry, which Komal Herbals says is dense with nutrients. The company then loads it up with more nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins, and sells it as a standalone jam, or uses it to make other products.

The Kazana Tonic Bars is made from this Praas, but with chunks of nuts and fruits thrown in.

The company makes five varities of Kazana Snack Bars, each with different spices and ingredients, "Chai", "Mango Coconut", "Pistachio", "Cocoa Chips", and "Cashew Curry".

I'm sure Komal Herbals will argue that this is not junk food but rather health food. I'm amused with their use of the word, "tonic bar" instead of "snack bar", or "candy bar". It's all the same thing. A Snickers bar contains antioxidants (in the chocolate), and protein in the peanuts. It's all about quantities, man.

Buy your Kazana Tonic Bars online here...
http://www.ayurbest.com/kazana.html

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Twisted All Natural Energy Bar

Premier Nutrition, Inc. of Carlsbad, CA recently got into the candy bar market, or so we're told, with its new "Twisted All Natural Energy Bars".

The company is largely known for its protein shakes and other muscle-building products.

It's always amused me how companies "twist" perception when marketing their junk food.

Twisted All Natural Energy Bars contain a lovely concoction of chocolate, pretzels, caramel, and nougat. The variety pictured here is actually covered in peanut butter. They have another variety coated in vanilla.

So what do you think? Is this an "energy bar" or a "candy bar"? Or should Snickers rebrand itself as an "energy stimulant"?

Visit Premier Nutrition online at...
http://www.premiernutrition.com/

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Hershey's Koko Energy Bars

Hershey's is planning to enter the world of energy bars with its new Koko Energy Bar.


Imploring consumers to "Experience the power of cocoa!" the chocolate-based energy bar is expected to have a retail price of $1.29.

I don't see anything on Hershey's website about this, so I'm not sure if and when these are available in stores.

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PranaBar - Energy Bars

PranaBars are claimed to be the first goji & acai energy bars.

Made by Divine Foods Inc. of Escondido, CA, they come in some unusual and not-so-unusual varieties...

• Apricot Goji


• Apricot Pumpkin


• Cashew Almond


• Cinnamon Apple


• Conocut Acai


• Pear Ginseng

The company says that the ingredients in these bars are 100% raw, except for the nuts, which are slow roasted to "denature the enzyme inhibitors to avoid stress to your digestive system".

You can purchase them online from the company's website...
http://www.livingforcefoods.com/

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Dale Earnhardt Jr Launches "Big Mo'" Candy Bar

Eight-year NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver and former winner of the Daytona 500 introduced his new candy bar, Big Mo' to buyers and industry media today at the 2007 Candy Expo.

The name Big Mo' is a play off of Earnhardt Jr.'s hometown of Mooresville, N.C., and the longtime moniker used for he and his closest friends, the Dirty Mo' Posse.

The milk chocolate candy bar will come in two flavors, creamy caramel and peanut
butter. It is scheduled to hit stores nationwide in January 2008.


"At one point or another everyone has had their own idea of making the perfect candy bar, and this was my chance to do it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's really cool to have my name on a candy bar, and it's a pleasure to partner with R.M. Palmer Company in putting this product on the shelves. I think Big Mo' will be widely accepted, not just by racing fans but by everyone who enjoys a good candy bar."

Known for its seasonal novelty candies, R.M. Palmer Co. has been specializing in traditional holiday candies since 1948, but this is the first of its product line to be a milk chocolate everyday candy bar.

The making of the Big Mo' bar included numerous taste-tests by Earnhardt Jr., and its unique recipe and design was shaped to meet the NASCAR star's liking.

"Our relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a partnership I am proud of," said Richard Palmer Jr., president of R.M. Palmer Company. "We started this venture over 12 months ago and our goal was to create two milk chocolate bars that Dale Jr. and Palmer would be proud to call their own. I am confident that our goal has been achieved. Big Mo' bars have been well received by our customers and are sure to be a BIG success."

To coincide with the announcement of the Big Mo' bar, R.M. Palmer Company is launching the "Big Mo'ment with Dale Jr." sweepstakes. Thousands of winners will be awarded great prizes, but the grand prize winner will be treated to his or her Big Mo'ment, which will include lunch with Dale and his JR Motorsports race team, a limousine tour of area race shops, suite tickets to a VIP weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and $250 spending money.

Fans will be able to enter the sweepstakes by visiting the candy bar's website and typing in the entry code on the inside wrapper of the Big Mo' bar.

"This is a great idea by the folks at R.M. Palmer to really spike the interest in the Big Mo' bar, and give fans a chance to win great prizes," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The grand prize winner will be treated like royalty. It will be more than a big moment. It will be a big weekend they'll never forget."

Visit Big Mo' online at:
http://www.bigmo-ment.com

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Pop Rocks Chocolate Bar

Finally! Last year Pop Rocks introduced chocolate covered Pop Rocks, this year they're doing it one better and bringing out the Pop Rocks Milk Chocolate Bar.

The thick milk chocolate bar features the pop and crunch of Pop Rocks. Kind of like a more proactive Crunch bar.

The All Candy Expo site notes that these are available as of September 1st. Anyone see them in stores yet? (I'll be picking one up next week at the trade show.)

Official website for Zeta Espacial.

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Toblerone Fruit & Nut Bar

Kraft is introducing a new bar to the Toblerone family of bars.

The new Toblerone Fruit & Nut Bar joins the Toblerone Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate bars, which all feature the honey nougat bits that have set it apart, along with its unique shape from other European chocolate bars.

"The honey and almond nougat blends perfectly with raisins whilst maintaining the distinctive taste of Toblerone that millions of consumers have grown to love." (source)

The article above mentions the British market for the product (introduction in August '07) but makes no mention of North America. As the Toblerone bar has gained momentum as a more common chocolate bar in the states, it appears this one will continue Toblerone's unique selling position and may be poised to oust the Nestle Chunky bar as the current "chocolate and raisin" bar.

Has anyone seen these on shelves yet?

Toblerone website.

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Nestle Giving Away 500,000 Candy Bars

Nestle is putting on a really big blitz to introduce folks to their new Nestle Crunch Crisp bar. The bar features a chocolatey coating over layers of crisp wafer planks and filled with a chocolatey cream.

Those interested in the bar should keep their eyes out for the appearance of the Nestle car that will be dispensing coupons good for one single-serving bar.

"Put a Little Play in Your Day" Summer Tour Schedule"

Date...................City .................Location
Thur, July 26 ....Philadelphia, PA .....Dilworth Plaza
Tue, July 31 .....Pittsburgh, PA .......Market Square
Thur, Aug 2 ......Cleveland, OH ........Star Plaza
Tue, Aug 7 .......Minneapolis, MN ......Peavey Plaza
Tue, Aug 14 ......Chicago, IL ..........Grant Park
Tue, Aug 21 ......Dallas, TX ...........Market Street
Tue, Aug 28 ......San Diego, CA ........Seaport Village
Thur, Aug 30 .....Los Angeles, CA ......Promenade / Santa Monica
Thur, Sept 6 .....Seattle, WA ..........Westlake Plaza

For a review of the new bar see Candy Blog.

More info about giveaway.

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Lindt Creation 70% Bars

Lindt & Sprungli is introducing a new line of filled chocolate bars under the Lindt Creation 70% label.

The 70% cacao bar has a creamy mousse filling of Cherry and Chili peppers which give it a sweet, tangy and spicy kick.

Other flavor variations in the line include: Chocolate Mousse and Orange.

The 5.3 ounce bar is sizeable (most other Lindt bars are in the 3.5 ounce range). Lindt is often seen in the grocery aisles (along with their individually wrapped Lindor truffles). No word on retail price.

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Reese's Whipps

Reese's, part of the Hershey's candy empire, is expanding further after the success of the Crispy Crunchy Bar introduction.

The new bar is called Reese's Whipps Candy Bar and will feature a light and fluffy peanut butter nougat. This nougat will give the Whipps Candy Bar a peanut butter taste but have 40% less fat. If the improved nutritional profile isn't a selling point for the 1.9 ounce bar, it will also be available in King Size.

According to JM Hirsch (AP), "The effect is a pleasing cross between a Milky Way and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups."

Reese's Whipps Candy Bar are slated to hit the shelves in the fourth quarter of 2007.

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Space Food Sticks

Space Food Sticks are a marketed as an energy snack, and have been on the market for a while, but were recently relaunched.

Originally created by NASA in the 1960's, they were brought to the consumer market by Pilsbury. Since then, the product was taken over by RetroFuture Products, LLC.



Space Food Sticks are no longer sticks. They're now bite-sized pieces. Each package contains 10 pieces, and come in two flavors, "Chocolate" and, "Peanut Butter". Each piece offers 21 calories of carbs, proteins, and fat.

The company actually sent me samples for review, but I have a problem with eating stuff that strangers send me in the mail. On the other hand, Cybele May at CandyBlog is braver than I and produced a detailed review. Check it out.

You can buy Space Food Sticks online from the company's website for a price of $29.95 for a case: http://www.spacefoodsticks.com

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PowerBar Triple Threat - New Varieties

Two new varieties are now available under the PowerBar Triple Threat product line. There's "Chocolate Toffee Almond" and "S'Mores".



The suggested retail price is $1.69 to $1.79 per single-serve bar.

Visit PowerBar at: http://www.powerbar.com/

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GoLower Nut Bars

GoLower is a brand of low-carbohydrate snack bars popular in the UK and just now becoming available in the USA.

They're claimed to be made from only the finest nuts and seeds and held together using a fiber-based sweetener called oligofructose. They contain no artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Aspartame, Ace-K, or sugar alcohols.

Available in three varieties, Raspberry, Chocolate, and Coconut, each GoLower bar contains about 3.3 to 3.7g net carbs, about 6g protein, over 9g fiber, and is fortified with zinc, antioxidants, and omega-3 as well as omega-6 essential fatty acids.

You can buy them online from:
http://carbsmart.stores.yahoo.net/golowerbars.html

Visit GoLower at: http://www.golower.com

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Choklat Crunch Bars

Choklat Crunch Protein in Belgian Chocolate is the newest product from Bionutritional Research Group, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements in Santa Ana, CA.

The company specializes in a product called "Proto Whey", which they describe as "the planet's most advanced protein delivery system". The protein in Proto Whey is supposed have an absortion rate of 100%, as compared to 30% for traditional sources of protein.

Each Choklat Crunch bar contains Proto Whey, giving consumers a delicious way to absorb high amounts of protein fast.

They're available in the USA in Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate varieties, presented in a 3.1 oz bar. Choklat Crunch contain 20 grams of protein per serving, and contains no inferior soy or collagen proteins, and no sugar alcohols.

Visit Bionutritional Research Group at: http://www.bnrg.com/

Note: as of this writing, Choklat Crunch is not yet mentioned on their website.

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Caramel Kit Kat Bars

The Kit Kat Crisp Wafers in Milk Chocolate bar is now being offered in the USA in a new variety that is "Filled with Caramel." The candy bar is said to feature four layers of wafer and caramel in a new creamier milk chocolate. The 1.45 oz. Kit Kat is sold in a plastic wrapper.

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ChocoStix - Chips Ahoy Variety

Kraft Foods now has their ChocoStix in a Chips Ahoy variety.

ChocoStix are similar to Twix, except the crispy wafer inside is patterned after favorite Nabisco cookies, such as the Oreo and Nutter Butter.

They're also available in a new 10-count package.

See our previous article announcing the release of ChocoStix.

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Big Tips Candy Collection

All the old candy bars that I used to love while growing up in the 1970s are now together in one nostaligic collection called, "Big Tips Candy Collection".

The new "limited-edition" collection contains 15 childhood favorites including:

Christopher's Big Cherry
Pearson's Bun Bar
Necco Clark Bar
Goo Goo Cluster
Owyhee Idaho Spud Bar (my Dad's favorite)
Boyer Mallo Cup
Brown & Haley Mountain Bar
Pearson's Nut Goodie
Owyhee Old Faithful
Peanut Chews
Annabelle's Rocky Road
Pearson's Salted Nut Roll
Necco Sky Bar
Palmer Twin Bing Candy Bar
U-No

To top it off, each box contains a nifty coloring book starting Tippy Tapperton, the porcupine whose cartoonish face graces the box cover. The suggested retail price is $20.00.

You can buy it online from Big Tips Candy.

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Barbara's Crunchy Organic Granola Bars

Barbara's Bakery Inc. introduced a new line of granola bars branded, "Crunchy Organic".

Varieties include, "Cinnamon Crisp", "Oats & Honey", "Peanut Butter", and "Toaste Almond".

They contain no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, cholesterol, hydrogenated oils, or trans fat.

Each variety is sold in a 7oz box containing 10 bars (5 two-bar pouches). Find a retail outlet near you.

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Organic Pure Bar

A company called Pure of Holland is marketing a new line of organic bars called, "Organic Pure Bar".

Pure bars are described as a delicious, healthy, food bar made with organic and raw ingredients, not cooked. The bars are chewy and sweet, and are supposed to provide adults and kids with a healthy alternative to other candy bars.

The organic bars are fortified with brown rice protein and low glycemic agave nectar. They provides 15 essential vitamins and minerals, 400 mg. of omega III fats and 4 grams of fiber.

Varieties include, "Chocolate Brownie", "Cherry Cashew", and "Apple Cinnamon". Each variety comes in a 12-count box containing individually wrapped bars retailing for $22.50 each.

Buy them online.

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