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Chocolate bars infused with fish oil and gum that will hop chewers up on caffeine are just a few of the new trends coming to the candy aisle.

A selection of chocolates
© AFP/File Richard A Brooks

Confectioners, who already command nearly 100 billion dollars in global annual sales, are keen to cash in on rising obesity concerns and the demand for energy drinks and dietary supplements with a host of 'good-for-you' products.

Some companies - like Hershey and Nestle - are coming up with smaller versions of their popular chocolate bars to help cravers control their portion sizes.

Others have tried to find ways for people to have their chocolate and eat it too.

It took almost two years for Canadian chocolate bar maker Botticelli to come up with a patent-pending way to mask the taste of the antioxidant Omega-3 in their chocolate bars.

It's a great way for consumers to get the benefits of fish oil without the "burp back factor" of standard supplements, said Sam MacDonald, vice president of sales.

"Have you ever tasted Omega-3 caplets? There's a terrible taste - it tastes like fish," he explained from his booth at the All Candy Expo trade show in Chicago.

Already sold in the dietary supplement section of Canadian drug stores, the Botticelli bars will hit the US in August. The company is also in discussion with distributors in Japan and Europe.

Weight "control" and a caffeine buzz are on offer from New Jersey-based GumRunners whose tag line is "gum that works as hard as you do."

Two mints or pieces of Jolt gum pack the same punch as a cup of coffee -- and there's no worry about dribbling it down your shirt, said co-founder Kevin Gass

The berry-flavored weight management pill promises to increase metabolism and control craving with green tea, l-carnitine and chromium.

"People already chew gum to not snack so what we're doing is a low-intensity dieting - it's not some crazy pill," Gass said. "This is casual, it's fun, it freshens your breath and it provides an extra benefit."

But despite these valiant efforts, most of the new products on display promise nothing more than a trip to the dentist.

Nestle's US division is planning on bringing its popular Wonka brand candies worldwide in the next 12 to 36 months, said export manager Naomi Sachs-Amarani.

"Kids candy is definitely a growing segment," she said.

"Look at the packaging - what kid wouldn't see it on a shelf and want it?" she asked, pointing to a colorfully packaged box of Wonka Nerds sour candies. "Nestle really doesn't have any competition for this."

The demand for sour treats is also expected to grow, said Aaron Johnson the director of consumer marketing for the American Licorice Company.

"In the late 80's and early 90's it really seemed to be a challenge product - 'I like this because my mom eats it and she explodes,'" he said.

Those kids have grown up and keep buying sour candy, a preference they're sharing with their kids, he said.

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