What we trade · 06
Confectionery and snacks for retail and private label.
Chocolate, gummies, functional gum, biscuits and better-for-you snacks. We represent finished brands to distributors and retailers, and find co-manufacturers for private label and new products.
Confectionery and snacks across three markets
Confectionery is impulse-led and seasonal, and snacks are moving toward less sugar, more protein and plant-based recipes. For a producer entering a new market, the hard parts are rarely the product itself. They are labels, color and additive rules, shelf life in transit, distributor margins and promotional plans.
We work on both sides. For producers, we prepare the range for the US, UK or EU and present it to importers, distributors and retail buyers. For buyers and brand owners, we find co-manufacturers for private label and new products. This is one of the categories the Functional Brands Group team has worked in.
What we supply
Typical products we can source or represent:
Chocolate
bars, pralines and boxed chocolates, seasonal and gift lines, chocolate-coated nuts and fruit
Sugar confectionery
gummies and jellies made with gelatin, pectin or starch; hard candy, toffee and marshmallow
Functional and sugar-free confectionery
functional gummies, caffeine and functional gum, no-added-sugar lines
Biscuits, wafers and cookies
Better-for-you snacks
vegetable chips and crispbreads, fruit and nut bars, protein snacks, baked and popped snacks
Private label and co-manufacturing
in all of these formats
Which formats and specifications do buyers ask for?
Formats include single bars, share-size bags, boxes, gift packs, multipacks, shelf-ready display cases, bulk packs for foodservice and vending, and private label.
Parameters we check:
- Recipe and ingredient specifications, including cocoa content and fat type for chocolate products
- Gelling agent and suitability for vegetarian, vegan, halal or kosher ranges
- Sugar, polyol and sweetener system
- Colors and flavors, against each market's permitted list
- Allergen matrix and factory cross-contact controls
- Shelf life, heat resistance and transit conditions
- Active levels and test results for functional products, such as caffeine per piece
- Case configuration, barcodes (GTIN) and pallet specifications
- Factory certification under GFSI-benchmarked food safety schemes such as BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000 or SQF
Who buys confectionery and snacks?
- Importers and confectionery distributors
- Grocery, convenience, discount and drug store retailers
- Specialty, gift and department stores
- Foodservice and vending operators
- Brand owners looking for co-manufacturers
- Online retailers
Quality and compliance checks
- Chocolate names: in the US, UK and EU, names such as "milk chocolate" carry composition requirements; products that do not meet them need a different name.
- Colors and additives: permitted colors and additives differ between the US, UK and EU. In the UK and EU, six colors require the warning "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". US rules on synthetic colors are changing, so we check the current position for each color.
- Allergens and warnings: major allergens are declared in each market's format. Sugar-free products with polyols and products with added caffeine may need specific warning statements, especially in the UK and EU.
- US entry and labels: the producer's FDA registration where required, prior notice, supplier documents for the importer's FSVP, US Nutrition Facts and US units. Products sold in California may need a Proposition 65 assessment, a known issue for some cocoa products.
- Promotion rules: in England, rules on foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) restrict where and how some confectionery and snacks can be promoted.
This is a checklist, not legal advice. We work alongside licensed customs brokers and regulatory consultants. See distribution and retail listings and brand development and private label.
Questions
Can you find a co-manufacturer for gummies or functional confectionery?
Yes. We search for co-manufacturers that can produce your format, gelling system and active levels, hold the food safety certification your buyers require, and run at a minimum order that suits your launch. We compare capability, documents and lead times, then coordinate samples and the supply agreement. Formulation work is done with Functional Brands Group.
What changes when a European confectionery range enters the US?
Usually the label first: US Nutrition Facts, US allergen declarations, US units and statements of identity. Some colors, additives and chocolate names may need to change. The route to market is different too, with importers, distributors and retail brokers each taking a margin. We map these requirements before samples go to US buyers.
Do you work with better-for-you snack brands?
Yes. We work with snack and confectionery brands built on less sugar, more protein or plant-based recipes, preparing the range for new markets and presenting it to distributors and retail buyers. Claims such as "no added sugar" or "high protein" are checked against the conditions that apply in each market before packaging is printed.