We Just Got a Sneak Peek at Mars’ New Candy and Snack Launches

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is on its way – and that means that everyone’s about to get very busy in the food world. Including us. From May 19 to 21, representatives from some of the biggest companies in the country will descend on Las Vegas to both showcase their upcoming candies and snacks, and to scope out what everyone else is doing. In the run-up to the expo, we’ve already started to receive early news of several items that’ll be making an appearance, including new Dr Pepper candy canes and Creamsicle Candy Twists.

Videos by Sporked

Now that we’re T-minus six days away from the expo actually starting, though, the press releases have begun – and we’ve just got a big one from Mars, which has given us a look at some of the new products it’ll be showcasing (although some of them have already popped up here and there in a limited format). And there are a lot of them. Let’s break it down.

New Sweets

Mars, which will be stationed at booth number 2823 at the Sweets & Snacks Expo (y’know, just in case you were there, and wanted to head along), revealed a bevy of new sweets in its press release. Included in its line-up are:

• M&M’s POP’d Caramel: Here we have the first freeze-dried candy from M&M’s, which comes in classic caramel. This one has us intrigued: A lighter, airier, crunchier M&M? We wanna try it, stat. 
• TWIX Bits: A bite-sized version of Twix here, which looks very similar to British Maltesers (if you know, you know). These have actually been floating around for a few months, and according to people on Reddit, they’re…not the best. 
• Skittles Gummies Fuego: New Skittles Gummies – which actually came out last year, in a limited capacity. When we tried them, we gave them an 8/10 – so we’re quietly optimistic about these being a hit. 
• Skittles Sour Wild Berry: Mars describes this one as a “tongue-tingling treat…with a sour squad of berry punch, strawberry, melon berry, wild cherry and raspberry flavors.” Basically, expect sourness.
• Starburst Sour: It’s Starburst – but sour. And when we tried them last year, we liked them. 
• SOURS by Extra: Mars is really going hard on the sour stuff this year, huh? And here, we’ve got a sour gum. 
• 5 Gum Evolution:…and here we’ve got another sour gum! Except eventually, it turns sweet. 5 Gum Evolution is officially here, and you better believe that Mars is profiling it. 

New Snacks

Mars (well, Kellanova, which is now under the Mars umbrella) is showcasing two sweet snacks and one savory one this year, over at booth 3157. And they are…

• RXBAR Protein Energy Bites in Strawberry Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter: Try saying that one three times. These bites have a peanut butter filling and a chewy exterior. Perfect for munching in-between sets at the gym. 

• RXBAR High Protein Bar in Vanilla Peanut Butter & Strawberry Peanut Butter: Another mouthful there – and this one has 18 grams of protein, and is made with only six ingredients. 
• Cheez-It Crunch in Zesty Jalapeño Cheddar & Kick’n Nacho Cheese: New Cheez-It alert! This new snack flavor is a spicy twist on a regular cheddar Cheez-It, with a nacho kick to finish things off. 

If you’re in Nevada next week, and you want to try some new foods, then you know what to do. Head on down to the Las Vegas Convention Center (if you have a ticket) and get munching.