When Editor-in-Chief Bernie Pacyniak asked if I’d be interested in shadowing the caramel portion of a Caramel, Fudge and Toffee course hosted by the Professional Manufacturing Confectioners Association (PMCA) at Savage Bros. in Elk Grove, Ill. last week (Nov. 7), I said what any reasonable person would: Absolutely.

Created by Melissa Evans, a mother of four, these USDA-certified organic lollipops contain pectin and honey, which are meant to help soothe sore throats.

Downers Grove, Ill.-based Hearthside Food Solutions will acquire Standard Functional Foods Group (SFFG), the privately-held snack bar division of Nashville, Tenn.-based Standard Candy Co., Hearthside announced Friday.

Chocolate brand FlavaNaturals will launch FlavaBar chocolate bars and FlavaMix drinking chocolate with cocoa flavanols at levels shown to support brain, heart, skin and circulatory health.

Tastykake has developed Kake Chips, a new product that combines the crunch of a chip with the sweetness of cake.

New Zealand Natural Goods, a Los Angeles area importer and distributor of specialty food products from New Zealand, has reintroduced RJ’s Licorice with new packaging.