Last week, over 14,500 attendees gathered in Indianapolis for the 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo, where major companies like Hershey, Ferrero, Conagra Brands, and Mars Wrigley presented a variety of their signature products. Close to these expansive displays, numerous smaller candy and snack innovators showcased their unique creations in compact booths, attracting retailers, competitors, and other visitors. Some of these products are fresh to the market, while others have been available for a few years. However, all these manufacturers share a common goal: seeking their breakthrough moment or further expanding in a food market teeming with options. Here are five standout products that piqued our interest:
Fizzy Breath
The brand breathROX aims to revitalize a stale category with its innovative breath mints. Featuring Pop Rocks-like crystals that help cleanse the mouth, along with zinc to neutralize bad breath, breathROX also activates saliva for better oral hygiene. CEO Jonathan Tanner notes that the breath mint market has seen little innovation in decades, dominated by products like Altoids and Tic Tac that he describes as merely “perfume candy.” The last significant breath mint innovation was Hershey’s Ice Breakers in the 1990s. “We’re striving to introduce something new after almost 30 years,” Tanner stated, emphasizing that breath mints are often dull and static. Originally created in 2013, breathROX found success on home shopping TV and Facebook, accumulating over $3 million in sales. Following a dormancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanner and investors acquired the brand in 2023, revamping it with the help of former Pop Rocks executive Lynn Hesson. Currently, breathROX is available in about 4,000 pharmacies and convenience stores, including 2,300 Circle K locations, in four flavors: blue raspberry, cinnamon, mint, and watermelon. This summer, breathROX plans to launch caffeinated popping candy infused with ashwagandha, B vitamins, ginseng, L-theanine, magnesium, and zinc, which will contain the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee.
GoGo Squeez Active
GoGo Squeez, owned by Bel Brands, is challenging the notion that apple sauce pouches are solely for children. Last year, the company introduced GoGo Squeez Active Fruit Blend with Electrolytes, featuring trendy minerals, no added sugar, and high vitamin C content. Unlike the original apple sauce pouches targeted at young children, GoGo Squeez Active caters to active pre-teens, teenagers, and adults. “We want to retain that consumer,” said national account manager Danielle Kellington-Welsh. “They’re evolving into more active individuals.” The new product combines the original apple sauce base with strawberry, pineapple, and orange purees, standing out from other electrolyte options due to its convenience and shelf stability for up to a year.
Hormbles Chormbles
Jared Smith, a co-founder of protein snack brand RxBar, launched Hormbles Chormbles in April, aiming to bridge the gap between nutrition and candy. This high-protein chocolate brand is crafted with whey and milk proteins, cocoa powder, monk fruit, and other ingredients, offering bars in flavors like classic milk, salted fudge, peanut butter, and cookies & crème, each containing 10 grams of protein, zero sugar, and only 100 calories. Smith observed that the chocolate category has seen little innovation in recent years, aside from ethically sourced ingredients or sugar-free options. “Many chocolate brands on the shelf are the same ones you encountered during trick-or-treating as a child,” he remarked, highlighting a significant opportunity for innovation in the chocolate market. Despite selling RxBar for $600 million in 2017, Smith recognizes the challenge Hormbles Chormbles faces in attracting a broad audience, stating, “We’re still figuring that out. Right now, we’re focusing on health-conscious individuals who enjoy candy and seek high-protein options.”
FocusFuel
In a market saturated with messy powders and canned energy drinks, Brandon Herwig and his partners launched FocusFuel, a gummy packed with caffeine and nootropics. Designed initially for gamers, it quickly gained popularity among yoga enthusiasts, busy parents, and health-conscious individuals. Each gummy contains 50 milligrams of caffeine, allowing consumers to control their caffeine intake more effectively than with traditional energy drinks. FocusFuel’s first-year sales reached $1.5 million, primarily through direct-to-consumer channels, with a high repeat purchase rate.
Magic Straws
Endless Fun, based in Minnesota, has introduced flavored Magic Straws that allow children to infuse their milk with 14 different flavors, including chocolate, strawberry, cotton candy, and bubble gum. Having sold over a billion straws since their launch nearly 25 years ago, Endless Fun expanded the line to encourage more water consumption. The straws offer combinations of flavors and contain electrolytes in select varieties. David Ehrlich, the company’s vice president of sales, noted that the Magic Straws’ sales continue to thrive, appealing to consumers of all ages.
In addition to these innovative products, it’s crucial to consider the side effects of calcium citrate, especially in relation to dietary supplements that may be included in some of these snacks. Understanding the potential side effects of calcium citrate can help consumers make informed choices about their nutrition and health, particularly when integrating new products into their diets.