Tip # 194: Create your Own Nutrition Fact Labels

Get answers to even the trickiest questions directly from
confectionery professionals through RCI’s List Serve.

So, your business is required to provide nutrition fact labels for your products. Whether you’re looking for a solution or reconsidering your current solution, you can create your own FDA-approved nutrition fact labels without spending a fortune. Read the following recommendations from fellow candy makers through RCI’s forum, List Serve.

“My state health department offers a free service. I gave them my ingredients, package size and serving size and they built complete nutritional labels.”   - W. Lewis, Chiammaya Custom Crafted Chocolates

“NutraCoster is a good program for creating nutritional and ingredient information panels. Another good one is Genesis R&D by ESHA Research. Both of these programs have generic ingredients to add, but you have the ability to use specific information on ingredients like chocolate.” – M. Koch, Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy

“We use NutraCoster as well and like it okay, but I just learned about ReciPal, who will do individual recipes for $19. They also have monthly plans.”   – B. Pelletier, Kakao Chocolate

Not sure if your business is required to provide nutritional information for your products? Click here to learn about the FDA’s requirements for nutrition labeling.
 

Get answers to even the trickiest questions directly from confectionery professionals through RCI’s List Serve. RCI members: click here to post your own questions or subscribe to daily digests and threads. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #193: Make your business more relatable through social media

#BehindRCIChocolateBootCamp

Make your business more relatable by offering glimpses behind-the-scenes through social media. In addition to sharing product photos, look for ways to tie in images that illustrate recipe development and testing, family dynamics (if you’re a family business) your company culture, and daily routines when appropriate. Plus, use a hashtag, like #behind>yourcompany< for followers to track all your insider footage in one place.

By welcoming followers behind the scenes, your business will feel more genuine and relatable than competitors who only share glamour shots of their products.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 192: Make your Favorite Summer Treats Pop!

Pop Rocks Truffles from Love & Olive Oil, Patrotic Strawberries from Our Best Bites,
Firecracker Bark from Not Your Momma's Cookie

Get things poppin’ this summer with the surprising addition of Pop Rocks^® to your favorite summer recipes! Put a little unexpected zing into your truffles or sprinkle on top of chocolate-covered potato chips, chocolate-covered strawberries, barks or really anything, by incorporating this fun and festive candy into your Memorial Day, 4^th of July and Labor Day celebrations! The fun nature of the Pop Rocks makes these products great to sample during busy traffic days or promote on social media.

Keep in mind, Pop Rocks may react to the water content found in heavy cream or other ingredients used in the above recipes. To avoid this, simply coat the Pop Rocks in cocoa butter to protect the “pop” until it hits consumer’s mouths!

Pop Rocks® is a registered trademark of Zeta Espacial SA.
Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Continue your education through the Allured Fund for Confectionery Education

We’ve all seen the statistics on the effect of education on one’s personal income, but have you considered the effects continued education can have on a business?

Whether you’re investing in your own personal education as a business owner or manager or training for your staff, these investments can make a significant impact on the success of your business by helping you improve business practices and remain relevant in your industry.

Are you interested in attending an educational course or convention in the confectionery industry, but aren’t able to due to financial hardship? The Allured Fund for Confectionery Education awards grants of $500 to attend educational functions sponsored by the American Association of Candy Technologists (AACT), Professional Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA), Retail Confectioners International (RCI), the National Confectioners 
Association (NCA) or the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA). 

Click here to learn more about the Allured Fund for Confectionery Education and download an application form.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #190: Don’t Sweat It! Stop Sea Salt Caramels from Sweating

Suffer from sweaty sea salt caramels? Take tips from fellow candy makers and RCI members on how to avoid this common problem, as discussed through RCI’s member forum, List Serve.

“We are looking for a high-quality sea salt for our caramels. We experience problems when storing salted caramels in our cool room (50 degrees – 50% humidity). The sea salt seems to sweat or become clear on the caramel when stored.” - M. Mootz, Michael Mootz Candies, Inc.

“We do not store our sea salt caramels at a reduced temperature due to similar issues, we store [sea salt caramels] at factory room temperature.” – T. Hicklin, Candy House Gourmet

“Some salts are harder than others. Pink Himalayan sea salt is harder and more dense. It is less likely to absorb moisture.” – R. Hofberger, (retired)

“I would recommend dehumidifying to at least 40%. If that can’t be done, shrink wrap the boxes/cases. Completely enclose the product and then store. It works very well.” – Marty Lyp, Peterbrooke Chocolatier

If you’re a member of RCI and you would like to get in on the conversation, click here to subscribe to List Serve. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business. 

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? 

Tip #189: Celebrate National Spring Cleaning Week – Throw an Office Cleaning Party!

If you spend a lot of time behind a keyboard, it should be no surprise that germs can make a home out of all those nooks and crannies. In fact, keyboards, along with phones, water fountain handles and microwave door handles rank at the top of the most germ-contaminated spots in the office. Need a more compelling reason to host an office cleaning party this week? According to a study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba with University of Arizona, “the average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.” Do you have a disinfectant wipe in hand, yet?

Whether you hire a cleaning service to keep your workplace clean or not, there’s a good chance some areas of your office could use a little extra cleaning. Consider scheduling a brief “office cleaning party” (15-minutes to an hour, depending on your need), for all office staff to address key areas within their personal workstation (e.g., keyboards, phones, computer monitors, etc.) and delegate individuals or teams to tackle public spaces like the break room (e.g., coffee maker and microwave), restrooms and lobby (if necessary). Few people enjoy cleaning, but there are ways to make it more fun by playing energizing music and making sure you have all the supplies needed to get the job done. By giving the team a reason to move around and change up the day-to-day monotony, you might be surprised to find, not only, a cleaner office, but a more motivated and focused team.

Click here for seven “handy hacks” from Staples.com to make your office cleaning party a breeze! 

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 188: Burst those Bubbles!

Pesky air bubbles often cause grief to chocolatiers, especially when using chocolate moulds. Tapping a filled mould by hand or using a shaker table or other equipment, can effectively release trapped air from the chocolate. The frequency of this motion can play a critical in forcing air to the chocolate’s surface. 

Did you know that very high frequency pulses or taps to the mould can have the adverse effect by increasing the depth of the chocolate’s surface tension layer, trapping air and pushing it to the bottom of the mould? To the chocolatier’s dismay, unsightly hollow spots or huge bubbles will later appear on the face of the moulded chocolate. 

For best results, experiment with tapping filled mold at rates between 5 and 20 times a second produce, depending on the viscosity of the chocolate and the mould’s shape.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 187: Apply the 80/20 Rule to your Marketing Messaging

The Pareto principle is a common rule of thumb in business that suggests 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customer base, as one example. This principle can be applied to many facets of business and marketing, but today we’re going to focus on content marketing that will compel consumers versus repel them.

It may be easy to lean on platforms like email blasts and social media to push product, promote the sale or urge online ordering! Be careful not to inundate your followers with messaging that is purely focused on making the sale. This approach can actually cause followers to lose interest and, perhaps, even mistrust your brand.

You will have better success at building a loyal following of consumers who are genuinely interested in your company, the products you sell and the people who make them, if 80% of your content is devoted to sharing valuable and useful information that helps to weave your brand’s story. Leave the remaining 20% to the sales pitch.

Here’s a few ideas to spark your imagination:

• Sharing interesting facts about your company history is always a win, especially when paired with a photo.
• A peek behind the scenes can convey a sense of transparency and makes your company more trustworthy.
• Add a personal touch by congratulating staff on important milestones, such as employment anniversaries, birthdays, babies, graduations, weddings and etc.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member of RCI? Click here to learn more about how RCI can help your build your sweet business.

Tip # 186:Take 3 Tips from RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp

Last week, twenty-seven chocolatiers participated in Retail Confectioners International’s Chocolate Boot Camp^®. Although students in the course varied in age and experience, each of them graduated with a better understanding of working with chocolate.

“No matter what size your company is or how long you have been in business, there is always something to learn at Chocolate Boot Camp," says Michael Crudden, Vice President of Operations at Rosalind Candy Castle and 2016 course graduate.

We’ve snagged 3 quick tips from this popular course to share with you! Even if you’re a seasoned vet, you may be surprised to learn something that you can incorporate into your business.

Tip #1: Some centers need to be cooled in order to make them firm enough to hold their shape. If centers are too cold, they will cause the chocolate coating to crack and have a dull finish. Ideally, centers should be between 65-75 degrees Farenheit when coated in chocolate.

  

Tip #2: When using chocolate moulds, avoid bloom by making sure the moulds are 4 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the chocolate.

Tip #3: If you don’t have a tempermeter, dip a knife blade into chocolate, leaving a thin film on the blade. If the chocolate is firm and not tacky in 5 minutes, at normal room temperature (65-68 degrees Farenheit), it is in good temper.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #185: Support the next generation of candy makers

Each profession serves its purpose for making the world go round, candy makers and chocolatiers just have a special way of making that journey so much more enjoyable.

If you are reading this, chances are you are pretty passionate about candy making. Whether your fondness came from a lifetime of learning through the family business or if it materialized more organically, that fondness keeps you coming back for more day after day.

As a treasured recipe is passed from generation to generation, so should the joy and love for the art of candy making. Keep the magic of the industry alive for generations to come by supporting the next generation of candy makers by mentoring a young family member or offering advice to a start-up. When doing so, keep in mind it may be just as important to share what you love about your business and the industry as a whole as it is to teach responsible business practices and time-proven techniques.

Share what you love about your business or the confectionery industry and your comment may be featured in the next issue of Kettle Talk, RCI’s quarterly magazine for members.

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business at retailconfections.org/join.

Tip # 184: Register Your Business with the FDA

In an effort to protect the public and ensure safe food is provided by food manufacturers, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires registration of all food manufacturing facilities. These regulations are part of the Food Safety Modernization Act enacted in 2011. We’ve provided answers below to some common FAQs regarding registering with the FDA.

Why is food facility registration a requirement?

Food facility registration will help the FDA determine the location and source of a potential outbreak of food-borne illness and quickly notify facilities that may be affected.

Who has to register?

The registration requirements apply to food facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human and animal consumption in the United States. Therefore, if you are a facility making chocolates and candies, then you should be registered with the FDA.

Do I register one time?

Food facilities are required to submit an initial registration to the FDA only once. After that, you must renew registration with the FDA every other year during the period beginning on October 1 and ending on December 31 of each even-numbered year. This means every food facility should be renewing their registration this year as 2016 is an even-numbered year.

Do I have to resubmit all information to renew?

FDA will provide an abbreviated biennial registration renewal process for a registrant of a facility that has not had any changes to its registration information.

Does it cost to register? There is no fee for registration or updates to a registration.

How do I register? Register online at FDA.gov by entering a search query for “Registration of Food Facilities,” or request the paper materials by calling 800-216-7331 or 301-575-0156.

How is registration confirmed? After you register your facility, the FDA will confirm the registration and assign a registration number. The information provided here is directly from the FDA website, FDA.gov. For direct links to materials from the FDA, including industry guidance for food facility registration, visit the GMPs page on the RCI website when signed in as a member (found under the Member Resources tab).

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business at retailconfections.org/join.

Tip #183: Chalkboard Like a Pro

Even if you aren’t a skilled artist, creating beautiful and trendy chalkboard signs  can be achieved with these 5 tips and tricks from the pros.

• Use a Level and a ruler for straight lines and even spacing

• Pick your tool – mechanical chalk pencil, chalk pencil (intended for marking fabric when sewing), chalk marker or real chalk.

Four types of chalk as illustrated by Jones Design Company. From top to bottom: mechanical chalk pencil,
chalk pencil by Fons and Porter, chalk marker, and good, old fashion chalk

• A damp cloth and a handful of Q-Tips can work wonders when it comes to correcting mistakes and cleaning up smudges. 

• DIY stencils – If you plan to use an image more than once (your logo or a chocolate truffle with a swirl) make your own stencil with vellum paper. You can easily trace any printed image by placing vellum over the print. 

Depending on your skill level, creating artful chalkboards can take lots of patience and practice. If you don’t have time for either of these, try this quick and easy chalkboard hack from Buzzfeed.

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business at retailconfections.org/join.

Tip # 182: Just Whip It: Truffles

For many, the truffle is the ultimate chocolatey confection. Made with high-quality chocolate and cream, traditional truffle centers are minimally processed offering rich flavor and a velvety mouthfeel.

Try a variation to the traditional truffle recipe, which will quickly become a new customer favorite.

For a light and airy melt-in-your-mouth truffle center, whip the cooled truffle center in a mixer until it becomes fluffy. With the incorporation of air, the color will become noticeable lighter. The final density will be approximately 0.75 gm/Ml giving your truffles a completely different texture, while keeping the same great flavor.

This is an excerpt from the first quarter issue of Kettle Talk in 2014. Click here to view the full article which offers more tips on making delicious meltaways and truffles as written by Randy Hofberger of R&D Candy Consultants, LLC.

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business atretailconfections.org/join.

Tip #181: Get to Indy!

Click here for more information.

Are you a candy maker or chocolatier? Don’t miss RCI’s Annual Convention &Industry Expo in Indianapolis June 20-24, 2016.

Here’s 4 Quick Reasons Why You Should Get to Indy!

1. Touch, smell and even taste products from some of the industry’s best suppliers at RCI’s Industry Expo. When shopping for a piece of equipment, nothing beats the experience of seeing that enrober purr like a kitten right in front of your eyes. The same goes for examining packaging samples in your hands or taste-testing different varieties of chocolates until you find the perfect fit.

2. Something magical happens at RCI events. There’s a buzz of shared ideas and experiences throughout the week. This is a great way for candy makers of all levels of experience and expertise to get new recipe ideas, troubleshoot with suppliers, get ideas for your next promotion and make connections with other industry professionals.

3. Sharpen your skills and your knowledge with relevant education sessions designed for retail confectioners and taught by industry experts. Learn how advancements in technology allow business owners to operate a business by their fingertips and how industry innovations can lead to increased efficiency, just to name a few.

4. One of the most popular components of any RCI event are the behind-the-scenes tours. Through guided tours of manufacturing facilities and sneak peeks of storage rooms, awaits ideas and inspiration ready to catch fire. Nowhere else can you experience this level of idea-sharing. 

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #180: Celebrate American Heart Month in February

As if we needed another reason to “heart” chocolate, the scientific journal Heart published a recent study linking “habitual chocolate consumption” to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Read it here.

This isn’t the first study to link chocolate to heart health. Other studies have also led scientists to believe that the plant compounds found in cacao beans, known as polyphenols, seem to improve the health of our blood vessels. Polyphenols cause blood vessels to expand, reducing blood pressure. Individuals with healthy blood vessels and healthy blood pressure are less likely to develop heart disease.

Unfortunately, there are no claims that chocolate is by no means the end-all, cure-all when it comes to heart disease or health in general. It is a good excuse to educate customers on the health benefits of chocolate next month and encourage trial of dark chocolate (65% cocoa or above).

Check out this fun video on the health benefits of chocolate, perhaps worthy ofsharing during American Heart Month.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.