Limited editions, tie-ins drive candy sales.(CANDY UPDATE)

Growing demand for healthier choices impacted just about every food category this past year except one: candy. Although interest in sugar-free options has risen, especially in gum, the bulk of sales still relates to sugar-loaded, indulgent, nutritionally poor sweets.

After all, candy is still basically sugar, and as such consumers' expectations aren't necessarily related to desires to eat healthier. The positioning of candy as an occasional decadent treat allows the category to grow each year, with sales up 1.8% in 2005 to $27.9 billion.

That doesn't mean suppliers haven't managed to use nutrition news to their advantage, however. Research regarding the …