Candy Manufacturers NAICS 311340, 311351, 311352

Jul 30, 2025 - Candy Vs. RFK Jr.

• In his campaign to rid the US food supply of synthetic dyes, HHS Secretary RFK Jr is meeting resistance from the candy industry and its brightly-colored chocolate treat, M&M's, The New York Times reports. As much as 19% of processed foods include synthetic dyes, and confectionary companies had the most products containing them, according to a recent study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. While M&M’s maker Mars voluntarily removed titanium dioxide from Skittles in May, a spokesman for the National Confectioners Association signaled that candy makers would not reformulate their products unless federal regulations forced them to, according to NYT. But if Kennedy can’t persuade or require candy manufacturers to remove synthetic dyes, states might do it for him: Beginning in 2027, Texas will require warning labels on foods/beverages containing certain additives, including dyes used in M&M’s.
• Major chocolate brands are responding to record high cocoa costs by hiking prices, according to candy distributor Redstone Foods. Hershey and Cadbury parent Mondelez have already begun raising retail prices and shrinking their package sizes – a practice known as “shrinkflation.” Also, some major brands are exploring ingredient substitutions, such as replacing cocoa butter with less expensive oils or experimenting with carob as a cacao alternative. Rising input costs and tariffs are squeezing margins for chocolatiers. In February, Hershey forecast lower-than-expected 2025 profit on higher cocoa prices. Rival Mondelez has also forecast a bigger-than-estimated drop in its annual profit, as it anticipates more pressure from surging cocoa prices.

• SNAP benefits could no longer be used to purchase candy and soda if Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr has his way, Fortune reports. The secretaries of HHS and the USDA have signaled their support for stripping such treats from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income families. RFK Jr. has likened additives and dyes used to make some candies as “poison” and wants them out of the nation’s food supply. However, excluding candy from SNAP would require Congress to change the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which says SNAP benefits can be used for “any food or food product intended for human consumption,” except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. Fortune reports that bills are pending in Congress – including the Healthy SNAP Act introduced in February – and in several states to restrict SNAP benefits from paying for candy, soda, and the like.
• Producer prices for chocolate and confectionery manufacturers rose 14.7% in June compared to a year ago, after spiking 23% in the previous June-versus-June annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices are at record high levels driven by rising input costs – notably cocoa for chocolate confections. Employment by chocolate and confectionery manufacturers shrank 12.4% year over year in May, while the average wage at food manufacturers rose 3.4% over the same period to $23.99 per hour, BLS data show.