It was almost too much to believe, but this week's Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago was promoting a different kind of message; a move towards healthier snack food.

It's true that the healthy snack vending machine is growing in popularity. And the snack makers have responded. What has caused the change? It has much to do with Michelle Obama's campaign called, "Let's Move," and further state and local lawmakers that have put pressure on the snacking industry to get a little healthier in their approach.

And big-time players of the snack food industry have pledged to reduce calories by over 1 trillion in their snack food products by 2012.

Hershey Co. has Reese's Minis, which are chocolate peanut butter cups the size of marbles - ideal for serving size control. Sweet snack maker Mars has sugar-free Dove chocolates, and also snack squares with vital phytonutrients; natural sources of these are broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

Another cool sweet at the expo was a dark chocolate covered cacao bean or nib, the size of a pencil tip. This sweet treat is only 2 calories per bean.

Expanding Markets

The first few months of 2010 told us that additional markets were expanding, in lieu of a changing consensus. Two of the three sugary product markets were some of the fastest growing: sugar-free diet candy and sugarless gum.

And it doesn't stop there. Due to the increasing pressure from the government, from such agencies as the FDA, grocery store outlets and vending machine operators have been looking for healthier snacks and treats, and wanting to see less sodium in some snacking products.

It's All About Gum

One industry that had already made a sugarless switch is the gum industry. Gum makers have promoted the benefits of sugarless gum for years, and many see chewing gum as a less guilty snacking habit.

The sales for sugar-free gum rose 7.3% last year, which was double the 3.6% total increase in sales in the confectionery industry. Over 85% of all chewing gum sold in the United States is sugarless.

Don't Put All the Blame on Sweet Treats

With all of the increased attention towards sugary snacks, confectioners are coming under scrutiny, but they feel that it's wrong. While it's true that eating a bag of sugary treats isn't the best idea, less than 2% of an Americans diet accounts for candy consumption. Most argue that the bottom line is that moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy diet and weight.

Contact United Marketing

Contact us, or call 1-800-877-1335 to buy a healthy snack vending machine. We have vending machine experts ready to answer your questions.

Source: latimes.com - Healthful sweets: Treats of the future?