The Historic Parents of new Baby JOY BITES

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The newest addition to the Russell Stover line of no sugar added chocolates is the Joy Bites bars line. The Joy Bites collection includes chocolate bars with breakable bites wrapped in resealable packaging that is 100% recyclable with FSC certified outer sleeves.

They are produced under the international umbrella of sister companies, Russell Stover, Whitman’s, and Lindt. Whitman is 175 years old; Russell Stover a century old. Both Russell Stover and Whitman’s were acquired by Lindt & Sprungli in 2014.

If the parent names seem familiar, you’ve probably seen shelves of Whitman Sampler and Russell Stover boxes of candy in stores, especially at holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and the winter holidays. That’s because they the major candy sellers throughout the country.

Joy Bites collection of Fairtrade chocolate bars with non-GMO and organic ingredients and no added sugar. The Joy Bites collection includes chocolate bars with breakable bites wrapped in resealable packaging that is 100% recyclable with FSC certified outer sleeves.

Born from the belief that everyone deserves a bite of joy every day, Russell Stover Joy Bites showcase a contribution to a worldwide growing commitment to sustainable practices. Russell Stover crafted Joy Bites using carefully selected ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives, no added colors and of course, no added sugar. Russell Stover Joy Bites are made with plant-based stevia extract.

With a shared mission to spread and foster joy, Joy Bites is proud to announce a partnership with Step Up, a non-profit organization aimed at helping girls and young women achieve professional success through mentorship. The partnership between Joy Bites and Step Up will kick-off with a special virtual event hosted by Daphne Oz on June 16. 

Joy Bites chocolate bars come in the following filled and solid varieties:  

• Caramel in Chocolate
• Peanut Butter in Chocolate
• Smooth Creamy Chocolate
• Sea Salt Caramel in Dark Chocolate
• Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate

They are made with Fairtrade cocoa and stevia extract, and crafted with these and other carefully selected ingredients. We play a small part in the worldwide focus on sustainability by wrapping all of this in 100% recyclable materials.

Cocoa farmers, their families and communities are the concern of the company. So Joy Bites cocoa is Fair Trade Certified which means we’re a small part of a much bigger initiative designed to help make cocoa farming more sustainable, ban child labor, and ensure farmers and workers are paid a fair price.

The new Joy Bites collection with no added sugar highlights a significant innovation for Russell nearly a century after the company was founded. Joy Bites can be found at leading retailers including Albertson’s, Safeway, Kroger, Meijer, Winn Dixie (fall 2021), Walmart (fall 2021) or by visiting RussellStover.com. Amazon carries the candy, too.

Russell Stover and Whitman are prominent names in American chocolate history. Almost a century ago, in 1923 Clara and Russell Stover begin making candy in the kitchen of their Denver bungalow home. The company, initially employing seven employees, is first known as Mrs. Stover’s Bungalow Candies 

Within a year, The Stovers operate five stores in Denver and stores in Kansas City, Lincoln, Omaha and St. Louis and by 1928 they opened their first factory in Kansas City, Missouri. Sales rose so high that four years later all company operations relocate to Kansas City.

1934The Stovers open a drive-in store, ice cream parlor and ice cream factory in Kansas City. 1943 was the year the company name officially changed to Russell Stover Candies. Russell Stover himself heads the Committee for the National Confectioners Association in Washington D.C.

1954 Russell Stover dies at the age of 66. In 1960 Louis Ward, a box maker and packaging material supplier to Russell Stover Candies, purchased controlling interest in the publicly traded company. Clara Stover dies at the age of 93 in 1975. In 1981 Russell Stover Candies again becomes a privately owned company. 1993Tom and Scott Ward are named co-presidents of Russell Stover Candies. Russell Stover Candies acquires Whitman’s Candies.

1998 Russell Stover Candies launches a line of sugar-free chocolates and quickly becomes the leading producer of sugar-free candies in America. Russell Stover Candies was awarded six Gold Taste Awards by the prestigious American Culinary Institute in 2002. The awards recognized Russell Stover as having America’s best-tasting toffee, chocolate covered cherries, fudge, truffles, nut bars and sugar-free chocolates.

In the years to follow, Russell Stover Candies launches a Net Carb line of “reduced carb” chocolates for sales to low carb lifestyle customers. Two new product lines with fortified chocolates designed specifically for diabetic consumers were also soon added: Diabetix, by Russell Stover and Whitman’s Sucratrol lines offer diabetic consumers great-tasting, fortified chocolates. 

In 2005 Whitman’s Candies partners with Weight Watchers International to launch the Weight Watchers® by Whitman’s® line of chocolate candies.