Las Vegas Convention Center — From rice and tapioca mochi to collagen-infused popcorn, showgoers can experience the latest in ingredients, flavors, and textures at the Sweets & Snacks Expo this week. The industry honored the 2026 Most Innovative New Products on Monday, including the Trailblazer Award in candy to Issei Mochi Gummies Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry gummies and the Trailblazer Award in snacks to Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn Raspberry Rose popcorn.
The new-this-year Trailblazer Award celebrates bold, disruptive products, often from start-ups or challenger brands, that illustrate where the category is headed.
Issei’s Mochi Gummies (Booth 4010) are made with tapioca and rice, instead of gelatin. Founder and CEO Mika Shino told Candy & Snack TODAY her company is the first to market using these ingredients in a gummi.
“We were first to bring the concept of using different starches to develop this kind of texture,” she said, describing the product as pillowy and bouncy. The minority- and woman-owned company got its start in Shino’s kitchen, where she began experimenting with making mochi snacks for her kids’ lunches. It soon blossomed into a two-year R&D project, with thousands of protypes, to figure out how to make shelf-stable, preservative-free mochi.
Mochi Gummies pack in two-ounce and four-ounce bags, shipping six per case. They have an SRP of $4.99 and $6.99, respectively. The gummies also come in mango, peach, sour cherry, sour watermelon, sour apple, yuzu, tangerine, and strawberry flavors.
A first generation Japanese American, Shino explained that mochi is a sacred food in Japan and is a deep part of her culture. Making it into candy is something new, she explained, and a natural, authentic evolution without aiming to be vegan. “It’s a genuine way to enjoy something that’s naturally pure,” she said.
Receiving the award has been an honor for Shino, who pointed to the supportive nature of the confectionery industry, especially when it comes to new ideas.
“This industry embraces innovation and welcomes newcomers. This award is a great sign this industry is open to new things and ultimately bringing joy to everyone,” she pointed out. “You have retailers who are real visionaries. It’s a really special industry.”
For the second year in a row, a product from Belle’s Popcorn (Booth 5047) has earned top honors in the Most Innovative New Product Awards. This year’s Trailblazer Award honored Raspberry Rose popcorn, which contains three grams of collagen peptides, biotin, and vitamin E.
CEO & Founder Dror Sharon told Candy & Snack TODAY this is the first salty snack to feature bovine collagen. “People want to eat healthy, but they don’t want to say no to sugar,” he explained. “They’re looking for functionality in a different way than from just supplements.”
The popcorn features kettle popcorn with a light raspberry rose dust and topped with white chocolatey drizzle. With a packaging header of Beauty & Glow, Raspberry Rose is part of a health and wellness line that includes Immunity & Wellness Very Berry popcorn with elderberry, echinacea, vitamins C, D3 and zinc; Protein & Gut Orange Cream popcorn with eight grams of protein; Calm & Relax Peach Lavender popcorn with 50 grams of magnesium, chamomile and lavender; and Energy & Focus Café Latte popcorn with 40 mgs of caffeine and B vitamin complex. The entire line is made with avocado oil, packs in bags containing 2.5 ounces and ships in 12-ct cases. They have an SRP of $4.99, except for Raspberry Rose, which has an SRP of $6.99 due to the collagen ingredient.
Sharon added that these awards have brought a great deal of positive attention to the family-owned company. “For a small business like us, it was a challenge getting our foot in the door. Opportunities came to life that would have never happened if we didn’t win,” he emphasized.
