YumSugar

Could America Be Facing a Sugar Shortage?

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:30:30 -0700

If you've got a sweet tooth, you may be forced to reckon with a bitter truth. In a letter sent to US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, several of the country's largest food companies, including General Mills, Kraft, Hershey, and Mars, said the United States could "virtually run out of sugar" if the government doesn't let up on sugar import limits.

To keep prices within reason for domestic sugar farmers, the government only allows unlimited sugar imports from the Mexican market without paying tariffs. Global shortages of the commodity have led to a skyrocket in price, culminating in a 28-year high this week. Sugar purchased from other countries, such as Brazil, is limited by a quota. If those restrictions aren't eased, food manufacturers say they'd be forced to hike prices, slash jobs - and run out of sugar to make items such as cereal, cookies, and chocolate. However, the USDA appears to be taking this plea with a grain of sugar, claiming early this week that domestic supplies were increasing.

With opposing interests, it's hard to know what to think. Who do you believe - and would America be better off with less sugar?

Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act Means Free Candy For You

YumSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:30:38 -0700

Your Fridays just got a little sweeter. Mars Snackfood is giving away a quarter of a million full-size packages of chocolate on its Free Chocolate Fridays. As part of the brand's Real Chocolate Relief Act, customers are encouraged to visit RealChocolate.com, where, every Friday through the end of September, the first 250,000 consumers can download a coupon for a full-size package of Twix, Dove, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Milky Way, or M&Ms.

In response to overwhelming demand the first week, today the company is making an exception to give away free chocolate to the first 500,000 visitors. The Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act is part of a new campaign to highlight its chocolate made with 100 percent cocoa butter.

The strategy takes a jab at archrival Hershey's for having made the switch to cheaper ingredients: "Without cocoa butter, chocolate simply is not chocolate. Some companies use artificial ingredients to make their chocolate sweeter or because it's cheaper. Know that with Mars, there's no substitute for cocoa butter." The promotion even includes tips on how to spot "fake" chocolate.

I can think of a slew of people who will appreciate this "relief act." Did you sign up to get your free candy bar?

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Skittles Ups the Ante With New Website

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:32:30 -0800

As the recession has affected consumer buying behaviors, the candy business is seeking to adapt. Mars-owned Skittles is no exception. In an attempt to reach out to the social media set, the fruity candy has completely rebranded its homepage.

Visitors to Skittles' main page are redirected to a search of the word "Skittles" on the microblogging service Twitter. The videos point to wacky Skittles commercials posted on YouTube; a "friends" section connects users to a fan page on social media giant Facebook; an image section leads to Skittles pictures on photo-sharing site Flickr; and those looking for information on Skittles products are connected to user-contributed online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

"Skittles lives in a world that is unexpected," said Carole Walker, VP of integrated marketing communications for Skittles. "We are leveraging what we think are the key consumer social media touch points."

The Skittles site requires users to enter their date of birth, as it doesn't advertise to users under the age of 12. Do you think this strategy to target older audiences will prove to be successful? Or is it too risky to depend on user-generated content? Does it change the way you view Skittles?

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Dove Chocolatier: The Next Avon Lady?

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:45:19 -0700

You've heard of the door-to-door Avon lady, and been to Tupperware parties. But have you ever been to a Dove Chocolate party?

Now you can. Two weeks ago, candy giant Mars launched its newest venture, a direct-selling company called Dove Chocolate Discoveries.

The company is targeting women and men who want to start an at-home business to become independent sales consultants. These "chocolatiers" then throw "tasting parties" where they teach friends how to make everything from chocolate martinis to chocolate truffles. The goal? To convince guests to buy chocolate rimmers, cupcake baking kits, and chocolate-covered graham crackers, among other things.

With Halloween around the corner, everyone has candy on the brain, so the prospects could be bright. Sales consultants make at least 25 percent of everything they sell, so it could also be lucrative. What do you think of the concept? Would you buy lots of Mars products at a chocolate party?

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Mars Gives M&M's a Makeover

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:08:12 -0700

Hoping to jump on the premium chocolate bandwagon, Mars has launched a brand-new line of M&M's candies called M&M's Premium. These newfangled M&M's are made from an entirely different chocolate recipe and have no candy shell. The chocolates are significantly larger in size and more irregular in shape than milk chocolate M&M's, and are filled on the inside with various flavorings that include white chocolate and mint. The M&M's are coated with a speckled metallic skin that corresponds to one of five flavors: mint chocolate, mocha, triple chocolate, raspberry almond and chocolate almond.

The new M&M's are in stores now, and are sold in a 6-ounce, upright package for $3.99. Have you tried any of the new flavors yet?

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Did This Snickers Commercial Go Too Far?

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:58 -0700

For the second time in two years, best-selling candybar, Snickers, has found itself in the middle of a controversy surrounding their latest ad campaign. Candy company Mars has yanked the ad from UK airwaves, where it received backlash from gay-rights activists for being homophobic. The commercial featured surly '80s icon, Mr. T, berating a speed-walking man, calling him "a disgrace to the man race." The tagline? "Get some nuts."

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation criticized Mars and its ad agency for perpetuating stereotypes of gay men. Mars issued a statement last night, saying that the commercial was intended to be funny, not offensive.

While I can see how the ad was meant to be funny, it might have taken things too far. After watching the spot below, let me know what you think. Do you feel the ad is cruel and insensitive, or was the whole situation blown out of proportion?

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Who Put Gum in My Candy Bar?

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:11:19 -0700

This morning Mars Inc - makers of M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles, and more - announced that it would buy gum manufacturer Wrigley for $23 billion. If you recall, the Wrigley company recently announced new packaging and flavors, in order to help sluggish gum sales.

The deal will create the world's largest confectionary company, and could possibly force Hershey's and Cadbury to join forces - there's been previous rumors of these two combining in the past.

The Wrigley portion of the company will continue to run as an independent unit, and it will be helmed by current Chairman Bill Wrigley. The deal is seen as a win-win on both parts, as Wrigley will now have a bigger infrastructure to help them with marketing and distribution. The interesting foodie tidbit is that current nonchocolate Mars brands - Starburst, Skittles, etc. - will now become part of the Wrigley portfolio.

So tell me, what do you think of these two powerhouses joining forces? Do you care if it is one giant company? Do you think it will affect the way the candy tastes?

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Mar. 24-31, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:00:40 -0700

Spring is in the air, and that's evident with the number of fun food events going on this week that pay homage to everything from rum to crawfish.

We can't wait to taste our way through the year's best wines at Wine Enthusiast's annual Toast of the Town, and taste tequila cocktails made by SF's top mixologists at the Nirvino Mixology Contest.

What events will you be eating your way through this week?

Seattle, WA: StarChefs Rising Stars Revue - Mar. 24
Coral Gables, FL: Coral Gables Wine & Food Festival - Mar. 26
San Francisco, CA: Wine Enthusiast Toast of the Town - Mar. 26
Tampa Bay, FL: International Rum Festival - Mar. 26-28
Chalmette, LA: Louisiana Crawfish Festival - Mar. 26-29
Lake Tahoe, CA: Winter & Wine Fest - Mar. 26-29
West Palm Beach, FL: Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show - Mar. 26-29

To see the rest, read more.

Hammond, LA: Smokin' Blues & BBQ Challenge - Mar. 27-28
Lodi, CA: Lodi Spring Wine Show - Mar. 27-28
Uniondale, NY: Spring Craft Beer Festival - Mar. 28
Rutherford, CA: Napa Valley Mustard Festival Grand Finale Event - Mar. 28
Miami, FL: Deering Seafood Festival - Mar. 29
New York, NY: Friends of James Beard Benefit - Mar. 29
Miami, FL: Deering Seafood Festival - Mar. 29
Washington, DC: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation DC - Mar. 30
San Francisco, CA: Nirvino Mixology Contest - Mar. 31

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Mar. 3-9, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:28 -0800

Springtime is coming, as illustrated by the fact that the country is buzzing with fun food events this week. Whether you want to watch a coffee competition in Portland, OR, or attend a gastronomic gala in Charleston, SC, there's likely to be a fabulous food event near you.

Know of any goings-on that you see left off this list? If so, chime in below. Will you be at any of this week's events?

Plant City, FL: Florida Strawberry Festival - Feb. 26-Mar. 8
Chicago, IL: Chicago Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-6
New York, NY: NYC Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-20
Garden Grove, CA: Japanese Food and Sake Festival - Mar. 5
Fulton, TX: Oysterfest - Mar. 5-8
Charleston, SC: Charleston Food and Wine Festival - Mar. 5-8
Dare County, NC: Taste of the Beach - Mar. 5-8
Portland, OR: United States Barista Championship - Mar. 5-8

To see the rest, read more.

Dallas, TX: Savor Dallas - Mar. 6-7
Philadelphia, PA: Philly Beer Week - Mar. 6-15
Calistoga, CA: Mustard, Mud, and Music: Calistoga Jazz Festival - Mar. 7-8
Tempe, AZ: Great Arizona Beer Festival - Mar. 7-8
Sonoma County, CA: Annual Barrel Tasting - Mar. 7-8
New Orleans, LA: World Cocktail Week in the Big Easy - Mar. 8
San Francisco, CA: Slow Food Nation Eat-In - Mar. 8
New York, NY: Taste Napa Valley - Mar. 9-12

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Mar. 10-16, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:00:16 -0700

East and West Coasters, take notice: There's something for everyone to imbibe this week, regardless of whether you're in the mood to enjoy a preview of this year's vintages or kick back with an artisan brew. Manhattanites can get a taste of Napa Valley while it's into town, and Floridians savor the fresh catch while you can.

Will you be attending any fun foodie events this week? If you think of anything we've left out, please feel free to chime in below!

New York, NY: Taste Napa Valley - Mar. 10-12
Philadelphia, PA: Philly Beer Week - Mar. 10-15
New York, NY: NYC Restaurant Week - Mar. 10-20
Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati Wine Festival - Mar. 12-14
Napa, CA: Napa Valley Mustard Festival Awards - Mar. 13
St. Augustine, FL: Seafood and Music Festival - Mar. 13-15
Kiawah Island, SC: Gourmet and Grapes at the Sanctuary - Mar. 13-15
Kailua-Kona, HI: Kona Brewers Festival - Mar. 14

To see the rest, read more.

Temecula, CA: World of Wine Barrel Tasting Weekend - Mar. 14-15
Phoenix, AZ: West of Western Culinary Festival - Mar. 14-15
Napa, CA: Napa Valley Mustard Festival Marketplace - Mar. 14-15
Sonoma County, CA: Annual Barrel Tasting - Mar. 14-15
Del Mar, CA: Family Winemakers of California Tasting 2009 - Mar. 15, 17
San Francisco, CA: Edible Pursuit - Mar. 15

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