Kelsey Ott

Despite all the headlines involving suicide bombings, air strikes, beheadings, religious/ethnic strife, outright devastation, displacement and death in the Middle East, most of the countries in the region are quietly focused on peaceful progress and prosperity.

Sugar and sweeteners may seem like they’re being under attack, with rising health concerns as well as the FDA’s proposal to include a separate “added sugars” line on nutrition facts labels. But not all sweeteners are created equal.

To some candy lovers, a sugar-free label can cause a grimace.

Pop music dances around the room as Katy Perry, Rihanna, Gerald Butler and other pop culture icons with lollipops in hand smile coyly down at everyone who steps into Sugar Factory’s new location in Rosemont, Ill.

Wine and chocolate is the new wine and cheese, and Brix Chocolate is giving consumers all the tools they need to be prepared for their next tasting party

Gem Chocolates are proving that cacao can rise from the dead.

Nonni's newest flavor of thin biscotti cookie, mango coconut, hits shelves just as consumers are asking for more fruity flavors.

Jelly Belly is popping the the cork with its newest flavor innovation.

Hammond’s Candies is bringing consumers something new to munch on with its two new caramel corn flavors.

“The benefits of raw chocolate go far beyond its superior taste,” cofounder Bennett Coffey says.