Sweet Facts About Candy
Candy does not add a large percentage of fat and sugar to the North American diet. Most of the fat in our diet comes form the high-fat animal products we eat. The main sources for sugar in America's diets are sugary beverages, baked goods and frozen desserts, not candy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture less than 2% of the fat and 10% of the sugar in our diets are supplied by candy. Candy and chocolate account for less than 2% of calories in the average American diet.
- About 65% of American candy brands have been around for more than 50 years.
- Nearly 2 billion candy canes will be sold each year, enough to circle the globe 4.5 times and still have some left over.
- Americans consume a little more than 25 pounds of confectionary per person each year.
- Hard candies, jellybeans and gumdrops are low in calories. One butterscotch candy has only about 20 calories. Eight gumdrops or eight jellybeans (the equivalent of one ounce) contain about 115 calories.
- Halloween is the holiday with the highest candy sales, followed by Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day.
- There are 10 calories in a stick of gum.
- Halloween is the biggest candy holiday, chalking up almost 2 billion in sales.
- The people of Denmark consume approximately 36 pounds of chocolate per person each year.
- Milk chocolate was invented in Switzerland by David Peter. He invented a way of adding milk to create the world's first milk chocolate in 1876.
- Candy does not promote tooth decay more than any other food. Tooth decay can be promoted by any food that contains fermentable carbohydrates, such as starches or sugars. How often we eat and drink those foods and how long they remain in our mouths is what counts. Good dental hygiene and regular fluoride treatments are the best ways to prevent cavities.
- The sugar in candy does not cause hyperactivity in children. Studies conducted at Vanderbilt University and the University of Iowa College of Medicine found no evidence that sugar has an adverse effect on children's behavior.
- Candy is made simply by dissolving sugar in water. The different heating levels determine the types of candy. Hot temperatures make hard candy, medium heat will make soft candy and cool temperatures make chewy candy.
Source: Wholesale Magazine