Jan. 13--Jelly Belly Candy is introducing its first organic jelly beans and organic fruit snacks, which will be made exclusively at its North Chicago plant.
Since late 2014, the plant has been producing only "private-label" candies for other companies using those companies' brand names.
The organic jelly beans are available in a 10-flavor assorted mix (apple, berry, blueberry, cherry, coconut, lemon, orange, peach, pear and strawberry.) There is also a mix of five sour flavors (apple, cherry, lemon, orange and berry).
The organic fruit snacks are available in a mix of six flavors: strawberry, berry, lemon, apple, orange and cherry. They come in fruit and animal shapes.
The lines have some key differences from the company's classic recipes.
The organic jelly beans recipe, for instance, differs slightly from Jelly Belly brand jelly beans, so they're being marketed as Organic Jelly Beans by Jelly Belly. They have a pectin center instead of the traditional cornstarch, which gives them a slightly different mouth feel, according to spokeswoman Jana Sanders Perry.
The company, based in Fairfield, Calif., pulled its Jelly Belly branded operations out of the North Chicago plant in August 2014. After 36 years of making Jelly Belly candies in North Chicago, it moved operations back to California.
In a video produced by the company to accompany the launch of the organic lines, Vice President of Operations and Distribution Jeff Brown called the procedure of developing them "very challenging." The plant had to go through the process of getting USDA certified to produce organic candy. The jelly beans and fruit snacks are also made with non-GMO ingredients.
They are currently available in bulk, and packaged versions will be rolling out later this winter.
sbomkamp@tribpub.com
