Slideshow: Crafting new-age confectionery innovations

KANSAS CITY — Confectionery manufacturers are experimenting with trending textures and flavors.

Tony’s Chocolonely, for example, unveiled a multi-sensory product line with Tony’s Chocolonely Filled bars. The product, available in caramel sea salt crunch and milk chocolate ganache varieties, combines the chocolate bar format with layered fillings. Tony’s caramel bar is formulated with milk chocolate, caramel, caramel pieces and sea salt. The company’s filled chocolate bar features milk chocolate and chocolate ganache.

The Hershey Co. expanded its Jolly Rancher brand with the launch of Heat Wave Gummies. The candies feature a chili-inspired coating to blend sweet and spicy flavors, according to the company.

“Today’s consumers desire excitement, and Jolly Rancher Heat Wave delivers exactly that,” said Vivek Mehrotra, senior manager of Jolly Rancher. “By blending our iconic fruit flavors with a hint of heat, we’re reimagining the Jolly Rancher experience in a way that’s both unexpected and unmistakably bold.”

Huer Foods partnered with McCormick & Co. to develop a line of spicy gummy bears. The product combines Huer’s gummy bear format with a seasoning coating from McCormick’s Frank’s RedHot brand.

“Americans are turning up the heat on everything they eat,” said Molly Clinton, head of marketing at Huer Foods. “From hot condiments to spicy cocktails, swicy is everywhere.”