The release of a new Star Wars movie seems to be affecting craft chocolate makers. Dark bars with a “force” factor above 80 percent cacao abounded at last week’s Winter Fancy Foods Show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Natural Products Expo us an opportunity to spot today’s food category disruptors, which will evolve into tomorrow’s premium confectionery and snack stars.

These artisans make chocolate from scratch; that is, buying the beans and processing them into the finished, go-to-market product..

Guyton discusses how his background in the Peace Corp shaped his perspective, what motivates corporations to pursue sustainability, and the future of the WCF.

What’s making the evolution of confectionery product development bend back to its elemental roots?

So what are the hot trending chocolate and confectionery products? A tasting safari through the show, which is the West Coast’s largest trade show dedicated to premium food products, revealed the following fab five

The fantastic thing about American craft chocolate and confectionery movement is that it has wide tent-appeal, always welcoming a new wave of creative craftsmen and women.

"To be honest, the business was failing [at first]. You can’t sell enough jars; you can’t have a big enough margin; not enough product differentiation," Gold says.

Tracking this year’s trends at the Natural Products Expo East, which was held in Baltimore this past week, gave this veteran trend spotter a case of whiplash.

There are several factors at play: heightened consumer interest in small batch, artisanal foods; a desire to know where food comes from; clean labels; and health considerations.