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Since we're right between the 4th of July and Canada day, I thought I would mention the most controversial difference between Americans and Canadians when it comes to candy.  That would be the availability of Kinder Eggs.  A simple chocolate egg with a little toy inside is a great example of how laws differ on either side of the border.  In the US, they're illegal, in Canada, they're a staple.  As far as I know the law in the US that bans them says that you cannot have a candy with a toy inside it.  Americans are afraid that kids will choke on the toys, Canadians aren't so worried.  What do you think is right?

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Friday Candy Video

I find it really sad that American's can't enjoy Kinder Eggs.  As you may know, Kinder Eggs are illegal in the US because they're a candy with a toy inside.  The US Food and Drug Administration believes that these eggs are choking hazards, and there's a pretty stiff fine if you're caught importing them into the US.

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Candy News

Flavour wise beer and chocolate make sense together, culturally I'm not so sure.

Did you know that PEZ was origionally a candy for adults? Well it is once again.

As a protest to the word "Candy" being trademarked for use in a video game by the makers of Candy Crush Saga, a few people have started to make their own candy themed games.

So how do you feel about Necco's latest new messages to be printed onto their candy hearts: "#LOVE” "TXT Me" and “Occupy My 3>”?

Are you into Dungeons and Dragons?  Do you like candy?  Well here's a little project you might enjoy.

Huffington Post recently posted a list of "Disappointing Foods That Are Never As Good As You Think They'll Be", but I'd argue quite a few of these.

Here's an interesting photo collection were they compare things that have been banned in parts of the USA, to things that are allowed (pretty much guns).  Kinder Eggs are included in the things that have been banned.

Skittles art is so cool, any subject works really well, even your favorite football player.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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A Cool Candy Thing

I've seen a few different candy themed "intimate apparel" clothing pieces in my day, but this one seems to make the most sense.  After all, if you're into the hand cuff thing, and into candy, what fun it will be to eat yourself free.

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Candy News

Football player Chris Thompson claimed that he liked keeping a pack of Starburst in his socks, so Starburst made sure he would never run out.

A high school science teacher did an experiment and it turns out that Oreo double stuff may not actually have double the stuff.  Oreo denies this.

Science is looking for a way to make the flavour of gum come to you quicker, I think maybe they should focus on making it last longer instead.

It's not that I don't think the Pop Tart Ice Cream bar is a good idea, I just can't believe I didn't think of it myself.

If you find yourself in Iowa, it might be a good idea to stop by the state fair, particularly if you like your food deep fried.

If you got the munchies, then police believe that you're probably smoking pot.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Wednesday Japanese Candy Review!

Japan isn't really known for its gum.  Most of the gum I've sampled from Japan is fairly similar to North American gums, with the exception that many have some kind of green tea flavour.  You just don't find a great deal of creativity in Japanese gums.  Today's review is the exception to that, but for the most part it's true.  I think that it might have something to do with the Asian gum market on the whole.  If I'm not mistaken there are several Asian countries that don't even allow you to eat gum, and many with strict gum chewing laws.  This tells me that there's probably little market to sell gum outside of Japan, so few manufactures bother.  It's just a theory, and I could be wrong.

Today's exception to the rule gum review is provided by the great folks at oyatsucafe.com.  If you want to sample some really strange Japanese gum, visit their site, and make sure to use enter the word "candycritic" for a discount.

Click here to read today's Japanese gum review.

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Candy News

Necco now lets you customize your candy hearts, I wonder if the'll let you put anything you want on them?

How do take your medical Marijuana?  How about in cotton candy form?

According to science, if you're really happy, you'll probably indulge in some tasty treats.

I don't think banning junk food is the best way to get kids to eat right, but what do I know.

It's national ice cream month, what a coincidence that this holiday would happen when we're having such sunny weather (my apologizes if you're reading this and it's raining).

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Candy News

So sweet companies can't afford to pay back their loans, the solution, drive up the price of sugar so they can increase their prices... An economist I am not.

Americans might finally be getting over their fear of toys inside candy.

If you've ever been to a RAMs game, did you notice that it smells like cotton candy?  Not really "manly" is it?

What do you get when you cross the most unhealthy meal in the world, with the most unhealthy baked good?

Looking to hold your popcorn, and all you've got is a hoodie?  No problem.

Twinkies are officially back, in the USA!!!  We Canadians never lost them.

The chocolate you can play with known as Magic Choc, is now available in the USA.

We've all heard the expression "beans to bar" in chocolate making, but how does it work?

According to new research the difference between chocolate addiction and addiction to opium might not be that much.

Remember how New York banned the sale of large sized soda pops?  Well a judge decided that this isn't cool.

The popularity of locally made candy is getting so big that the large corporations want to start selling it.

Is this the best candy contest of the year?  Have your entire likeness made into a giant life sized gummy.

Obesity rates are still going up, but the number of calories people are eating are going down, maybe a little exercise is in order as well.

Can you lose weight by chewing gum? I heard this before with regular chewing gum, but now a company claims to have a gum that can help you even more.

According to this article, Cadbury created a non-existent factory in India to cheat their taxes. I want to know what candy this non-existent factory was supposed to be making.

Happy birthday Peeps, you don't look a day over 59.  To help celebrate Peeps' birthday, here's a list of 18 different ways to enjoy them.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Candy News

In the Democratic Republic of Congo there are some new ideas to help the chocolate industry, and more importantly help the people working in the chocolate industry.

There are legal troubles between Haribo and Lindt, and it's all over the idea of a "Golden Bear".

Pepsi is offering a new drink called Kickstart, apparently it looks and tastes like Mountain Dew, but it's designed as a morning pick-me-up.

Which one of these items is not actually available dipped in chocolate: Onions, pickles, carrots, Slim Jims, squid, or peppers.  If you answered this question then you answered incorrectly.

How do you feel about pairing red wine and chocolate, some love it, this person thinks you're crazy.

A judge White Plains New York has approved some sort of legal technicalities, these technicalities are the first step towards Americans getting the Twinkie back.

When you eat chocolate bark, is there ever too much stuff in it?  Is there ever anything too strange, or salty?

I wrote a few weeks back about a company that was producing chocolate flavoured envelopes, well now Belgium is producing the stamps to go with it.

Not chocolate cheesecake, but just chocolate cheese, yup it exists.

Did you get a box of chocolates for Valentines Day this year, who's name was on it and why?

Food themed tourist attractions are really taking off and, Nestle has just announced its newest attraction on the original site where they were founded in Switzerland.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Thursday's Candy Links

Two things I always worry about when I eat candy, my diet and my teeth, now it looks like I might only have one.

Happy Birthday Rowntree, you don't look a day over 149.

I'd always known that Kinder Eggs are illegal in the United States, but I didn't know that the fines could go as high as $2,500 per egg.

The Olympics is a great way for companies to promote their candy, but only a few are "official" sponsors.

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Theater Security

I went to a theater this weekend, and I was shocked when I saw the entrance to the bulk section.  It was more secure than any other part of the entire theater.  I would have had an easier time sneaking into a movie than sneaking away with a hand full of gummy bears, not that I condone stealing.  In fact I imagine they wouldn't have built this candy stronghold unless many people were stealing candy.  It's pretty shocking.

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Monday's Candy Links

Pet themed cookies... I never thought I'd ever link to a pet lovers site.

Tesco has beefed up security in the candy isle because chocolate bars have become a huge target for thieves.

Learn a little more about chocolate in with 5 keys to understanding cocoa.

Kids are using gummy bears to sneak booze into schools, why don't they just sneak it in the old fashioned way, a small flask hidden in a small pocket, or in your thermos.

Chocolatiers know the most important rule of chocolate, quality over quantity.

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Illegal Honey

In the last few months I’ve come across many articles on the subject of “illegal honey”.  Many of these articles talk about what a problem this has been, and that the problem seems to focused on honey from China, but very few give great detail about what “illegal honey” really means.  I decided to do a little checking around and I contacted the honey experts at Honibe.  I talked to John Rowe from Honibe on this subject and he cleared up a lot.

He focused on three key impacts that illegal honey is having on the honey industry, environmental, trade, and health.  I have to admit that I was rather sceptical about this talk of illegal honey, and I imagined that it might be a ploy by honey producers to try and stop the trade of cheaper honeys into the market.  While this is an issue, the real problem comes down to why this honey is cheaper.

John told me that there are really two problems with these cheaper honeys (often coming from China). Some of these honeys contain a “blend of honey with corn syrup”.  While this is not dangerous, unless you have an allergy to corn, it is dishonest.  The bigger concern comes from the use of antibiotics in these illegal honeys.  Many of the honeys coming out of China use antibiotics that are banned in Canada and the US and have been found to be very unhealthy.

Both Canada and the US have been working hard at fighting this kind of honey from entering their borders.  After discovering that Chinese honey was a problem a huge tariff was implemented in order to make honey harder to export. Regular inspections of honey imported into the US and Canada make sure it doesn’t slip through the cracks.  This tariff or basically a ban on importing Chinese honey hasn’t been easy.  As soon as the tariffs went up for Chinese honey, suddenly some other countries would have a boom in the amount of honey available to export.  It was/is thought that these countries would bring in Chinese honey, re-label it as their own, and send it to Canada and the US.  It’s become such a problem that John tells me “people have gone to jail for this” and the department of homeland security is now involved.

I asked John about his opinions of small producers of honey (the kind you might find at a county fair) and if home hives are a problem to the honey business.  John explains that “everybody should have a hive”.  To John, honey is not just about business, it’s also about taking care of the world.  He has no problem with low priced honey; he has a problem with dishonest honey and unhealthy honey.  In fact, he explained to me how important honey and honey manufacturing is to the world. 90% or all pollination comes from bees, so the environmental impact of the loss of bees is gigantic.

What I got from this conversation is the passion that many of these honey producers and users have.  Although there is money involved, there are bigger problems that illegal honey creates such as health and the environment issues.  Paying a little more for a quality honey isn’t just about supporting an industry, it’s also about making sure you’re food is healthy and so is the world.

I also found a great link on the subject of home honey hives, well worth reading.

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Fluffernutter ™

According to Mental Floss in their post about strange words you may not know are trademarked.  The word "Fluffernutter™" is one of them.

Click here to check out the list.

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Tobacco And Candy

I've found that there are many candies that look like tobacco products, Pocky, Big League Chew, Popey "Candy Sticks".  I've also found that there are many tobacco products that look like candy, those long brown cigarettes, some cigars look like chocolate bars, and so on.  If you think about it, smoking and candy often serve a similar purpose.  They both provide a moment of physical pleasure and also give you something to do with your hands.  You could argue that smoking is worse for you than eating candy, but they really do have their similarities.  It's no wonder that both of these industries keep crossing paths, much to the dismay of public health groups.

Click here to read about one such cross over.

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Last Minute Easter Link Roundup.

First of all TCHO has released some pretty fantastic packages for their fantastic chocolate.  If the bunny brings you one of these you must have been good.

Click here for last minute purchases... maybe.

If you happen to find that the Easter Bunny has brought you a Kinder Egg, then call the authorities.  After so many years the Kinder Egg is still illegal in the United States.  Now I don't want to say that it's a jab at "American freedom", but according to this article bellow, there are a bunch of them out there that want to buy these.

Click here to read about Kinder Eggs in the US.

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You Can Own Colours

Did you know that you can trademark a colour?  Many companies have, including Cadbury and Coca-Cola.  You know you're serious about your marketing when you go this far.

Click here to read more about trademarked colours.

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"Candy Deal Gone Bad"

The article below doesn't really describe why this particular "candy deal went bad", but apparently arrests where made and candy was unlawfully exchanged.

Click here to read more.

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Lollipops As Crime Prevention

A small town in the UK had an interesting plan to try and settle the streets a little during the late night.  They had problems with people making too much noise and causing a general ruckus late at night, and they wanted to do something about it.  Sure they could have just started to arrest people and add more law enforcement, but instead they went a more interesting direction.  They decided to give out free lollipops to the party goers with the idea that the sugar rush calms down party goers.  Best of all, it worked.  I'm not sure if the sugar is the cause, or if it was the fact that no one could yell because their mouths where full of lollipop, but either way it worked.  I'm wondering if riot police and armies should try something like this all over the world.

Click here to read more.

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No More Breast Milk Ice Cream?

Last week I mentioned that an ice cream parlor in London has created ice cream made with human breast milk.  Well it appears that they've hit a bit of a snag in their sales.  The ice cream is called "Baby Gaga" and it would appear that Lady Gaga has a few objections with this name.

Click here to read about the problem.

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