Amos Sweets talks Candy Hall of Fame induction

In March, NCSA announced its Candy Hall of Fame Class of 2024, including Amos Ma, chairman and CEO of China-based Amos Sweets & Food Co., Ltd. Induction into the Candy Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors in the confectionery industry. The new class was recently formally inducted during the Association’s annual event (October 24–27) in Orlando. Ma is the first international winner who is not an American citizen.

"Amos Ma’s journey from a small town in Hunan Province to a leading figure in the global confectionery industry is a testament to dedication, vision, and an unwavering commitment to making the world a sweeter place," says the Candy Hall of Fame website.

Candy Industry Senior Editor Liz Parker talked with Elaine Wu, general manager of overseas markets, Amos Sweets, whom attended the Hall of Fame award ceremony and gave a speech, about this honor.

Liz Parker Kuhn: When did Mr. Ma find out he was nominated for the Candy Hall of Fame?

Elaine Wu: It's a great honor to receive recognition from industry professionals, and we would like to sincerely thank the Candy Hall of Fame and our candy industry colleagues. Mr. Amos was nominated in November 2023, and he received this prestigious honor on March 11, 2024. At that time, Mr. Amos was busy preparing for the Global Distributor Conference and the Creativity and Nutrition Candy Forum. Subsequently, in October, he was fortunate to attend the 53rd NCSA Candy Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony.

LPK: How does the selection process work?

EW: The Candy Hall of Fame, as the pinnacle of honor in the global candy industry, sets strict criteria for inductees: they must have deep roots in the industry for over 20 years and consistently made outstanding contributions recognized internationally. Mr. Amos, recommended by Ms. Audra, underwent rigorous selection processes before ultimately receiving this prestigious honor. This highly meticulous process included an initial nomination phase, thorough scrutiny and selection by the judging committee, and final formal approval by the NCSA board of directors. Throughout the recommendation, review, and approval processes, distinguished professionals within the industry were responsible, ensuring the fairness and authority of the entire selection.

Mr. Amos's educational background and extensive industry experience are truly impressive. With 25 years of dedication to the candy industry, he has continuously innovated, developing numerous trend-setting products such as 4D blocks gummy candies, active probiotic gummies, peelable gummies, and goldfish gummies. Germany's Der Spiegel magazine praised Amos Food Group's 4D gummies as a model of global candy innovation. Furthermore, Mr. Amos strives to be a "sweet ambassador of the world," considering philanthropy an essential part of his life. Since 2013, he has sponsored Yunnan University to support the cultivation of international talents, actively participated in anti-epidemic donations, established a standardized and ongoing donation program for special children, donated books and supplies to revitalize rural education, and closely monitored international developments to provide assistance to children in war-torn regions within his capacity.

These outstanding contributions have not only earned high recognition from the NCSA Board but also garnered unanimous praise from family members and partners. Mr. Yu Lu, vice chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal Products, as well as Mr. Marco, CEO of Ferrara, and Mr. T. Murata, president and CEO of Kanro Inc. from Japan, have all expressed their deep acknowledgment and admiration for Mr. Amos, and submitted letters of recommendation to NCSA.

LPK: Has anyone else from Amos Foods ever been nominated for the Candy Hall of Fame?

EW: Mr. Amos is the first entrepreneur from our company to receive this prestigious award, and he is also the first recipient from China.

LPK: How did Mr. Ma get his career start? When did he create Amos Foods Group?

EW: The path of founding a business is filled with challenges, hardships, and honors. Starting from a small town in Hunan, Mr. Amos, with his outstanding foresight and keen market insight, was admitted to Yunnan University in 1989 as the top scorer in liberal arts from Xinning, Hunan. He majored in Marketing and International Trade. Later, from 2019 to 2021, he continued his studies at the China-Hong Kong Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, constantly enhancing his business acumen.

In 1999, Mr. Amos ventured into the candy industry. At the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), he became the first exhibitor to sell candies, with international businessmen lining up to inquire about prices—a scene that remains vivid in his memory. This experience solidified his determination to create high-quality candies. In 2004, Mr. Amos founded his own group. Adhering to the principles of craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail, he strictly controlled product quality, enabling Amos Food Group's products to easily cross market thresholds in various countries worldwide. At the same time, the group's continuous innovation and development philosophy have allowed Amos to thrive and remain vibrant after 20 years of trials and tribulations.

Mr. Amos is renowned for his perseverance, innovation, and kindness. He hopes to be remembered not just as someone who brought unique candies to the world, but also as a person who enriched the lives of countless individuals with love and passion.

LPK: Anything new or coming up in 2025 for Amos?

EW: In 2025, under the outstanding leadership of Mr. Amos, the group will continue to make significant contributions to the candy industry, particularly by increasing investments in the two major areas of creative candies and functional nutritional candies. Specifically, we will grandly introduce a new series of flavors for Amos Peelerz to satisfy consumers' pursuit of novel tastes, as well as IP candy toys to enrich the variety of creative candy categories. At the same time, we have also carefully prepared multiple new products in the Biobor functional nutritional and healthy candy line, aiming to provide consumers with more healthy and delicious options.

Biobor products prioritize children's health by blending functional nutrition with a variety of flavors, helping kids obtain essential nutrients such as vitamins and probiotics. This makes the process of supplementing nutrition not only easy and enjoyable but also joyful, achieving the goal of "adding nutrition and reducing burden." Additionally, Biobor deeply cares about women's health and plans to successively launch a series of foods containing various nutrients such as zinc, iron, amino acids, lutein, and more, aiming to allow women to effortlessly obtain the various nutrients needed to maintain their health while enjoying delicious flavors.