But a week later, 1-800-Flowers.com, Fannie May’s New York-based parent company, announced it would sell the brand -- along with the Harry London brand, an Ohio manufacturing facility, two warehouses and 79 retail stores -- to Ferrero International for $115 million.

At this month’s State-of-the-Industry Conference organized by the National Confectioners Association, several speakers reinforced the health and wellness trend as it applies to confections and snacks. At an early morning supplier member meeting featuring executives from Mondelez International, it became clear that this multinational’s focus rests on “well-being snacks.” 

Fannie May is undeniably among the city’s confectionery elite, not only for its signature sweets, but for its ability to underscore the company’s Chicago connection and to reach residents and tourists alike. And those are things the company never forgets to celebrate, says Fannie May President Steve Druckman.

Nonetheless, Today's Jeff Rosen ―who leads us to believe he’s quite a candy lover ―goes on a movie house shopping spree in the segment, purchasing Nestlé and Just Born products. He then returns to the studio and carefully stands  up the boxes, cutting open a flap in each one to show the amount of white space there is before one sees actual candy.

Candy manufacturers and sellers have a tough audience in grocery, convenience and other retail buyers, but the true test comes from an even more discerning crowd: Children.

But this rant about stress in America actually brings up a perfect opportunity for the happiest profession in the world — candy making. Today, more than ever, we need to take time out and, yeah, indulge ourselves to maintain our sanity. 

Just like Fannie May, Frango Mints became a Chicago confectionery icon, one that connected you to the community. So when news broke that Garrett Brands had purchased the brand, it was one of the headlines that makes us hometown cheerleaders nod our head in agreement.

Last week, deputies from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department in southeast Wisconsin came across thousands of red candies scattered across a county highway between the cities of Leipsig and Juneau.

If you missed the column, which appeared in Sweet & Healthy Issue 1, it dealt with a mother’s proposal to create candy- and tabloid-free checkout aisles for parents who are shopping with their children.