• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:15 AM

The All Candy Expo in Chicago last week wasn't all candy. The trade show added snack, cookie and biscuit exhibitors for the first time, as well as a section it called "gourmet marketplace"--a nod to the growing consumer attraction to premium and upscale snacks, as well as fortified, natural and organic munchies.

New candy products dominated the largest gathering of candy makers in the U.S. with fresh approaches to sugar, cocoa butter, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and natural flavors. Candy makers also were jumping on the bandwagon of "portion control," packaging candy and cookies in 100- to 150-calorie packs.

Mars new Generation Max line of products, for example, promises it "keeps you going" with Twix cereal clusters, Snickers cookies and Combos pizza snacks that are 150 calories or less and lower in sugar and fats. And its Milky Way bars now come packaged as two pieces for sharing or saving.

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