By Viva Sarah Press/ISRAEL2lc.org

Carmit Candy Industries of Israel recently unveiled its line of fortified confectionery products at the Natural Products Expo West industry event in the U.S. The innovative lollipops, wafers and toffees are formulated to help shed pounds, boost the immune system and promote bone health.

From early on, Carmit did away with trans-fat in its products. Carmit’s CEO Steve Grun tells ISRAEL21c that it was out of necessity in following Jewish dietary laws that the company became an unexpected leader in dairy-free, dietetic and organic confectionery.

“Carmit’s gluten-free confectionery is a spinoff of products we developed for the kosher-for-Passover market, where the use of wheat flour is expressly prohibited. Our non-dairy products are a spinoff from the kosher need for parve [vegan],” Grun says. “Since then, we have deepened our expertise … and are a supplier to leading brands around the world.”

Now, the Israeli candy manufacturer hopes to lead the way with its fortified candy line as well. “This is a natural progression for us,” he says. “The fortified confectionery market is a strategic direction for us and we hope to further establish Carmit as a leading private-label manufacturer for value-added and healthy confectionery products.”

The new products include a weight-management wafer bar with glucomannan and potato extract; chocolate coins with calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K; and sugar-free toffee chews with Echinacea, vitamin C and zinc.

Grun explains that the added-value ingredients are selected for their scientific support, regulatory approval and technical parameters.