Bonbons and candy canes might dominate the American holiday aesthetic, but U.S. confectionery companies are feeling anything but jolly as they head into one of the sugar market’s tightest years in recent memory.
Prolonged droughts in major cane-producers Mexico and Louisiana have helped push U.S. sugar futures to the highest ever for this time of year and forced users to turn to high-cost imports instead. Makers of sweets paying up to snag supplies are choosing to protect their margins by raising prices for consumers — and hoping shoppers don’t balk at the mark-up.
“We just found that it was better to just pay more for sugar and pass it along to the consumer than to be completely out of sugar,” said Kirk Vashaw, chief executive officer of Dum Dums lollipop maker Spangler Candy Co. “And there are a lot of other companies that I think thought the same thing.” |
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Other food headlines this week
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(Family Features) All that holiday hustle and bustle can work up some real hunger. Between decorating, baking and preparing for entertaining, hosts often earn an afternoon snack.
When you and your loved ones need a boost of energy before guests arrive, turn to a fresh ingredient like Envy apples, which provide an easy way to whip up a delicious sandwich due to their sweet taste and availability. The sweet, sophisticated flavor; uplifting, fresh aroma; delightfully satisfying crunch; beautiful appearance; and naturally white flesh all lend themselves to this Apple Cranberry Havarti Melt. As a quick, simple way to reenergize before the big party, it’s a perfect snack the whole family can enjoy together. |
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(BPT) - If you’ve heard the buzz about eating “plant-based” diets or being a “flexitarian,” you’re not alone. According to a OnePoll survey, 47% of Americans (ages 24-49) identify as flexitarian, meaning they eat mostly plant foods including vegetables, legumes, and fruit but are not strictly vegetarian or vegan.
Why try a flexitarian diet?
A flexitarian diet could mean better health for yourself and the planet, without entirely omitting animal foods. Higher in antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals from plant foods, vegetarian diets (which closely resemble flexitarian eating) may help lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, and may aid in weight management. As for the planet, in a review of 14 varied plant-based diets, research showed that
a flexitarian eating style may help lower greenhouse gas emissions. |
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I baked a lot of cookies for my newspaper’s annual holiday cookie contest and my kitchen floor isn’t the only thing that ended up a sweet and sticky mess.
My palate, after baking and tasting a dozen cookies for the recipe competition, was in sugar overdrive. Even a day after the winners were announced, and all the baking supplies were back in my pantry, my taste buds were still screaming out for something — anything! — that didn’t hang its hat on butter, chocolate and brown, white or confectioner’s sugar.
Which is a long way of saying: Thank goodness for Sichuan food. |
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