On October 31, neighborhoods will be crowded with trick-or-treaters walking door to door to fill up their bags with candy, much of which is wrapped in Domtar candy wrappers.
These treats are a fall tradition, and it’s not just the kids who love to indulge. Thanks to our collective sweet tooth, Halloween candy is big business for retailers, with U.S. sales expected to hit $3.0 billion in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. That averages out to about $25 per person, young and old alike.
What does it take to get those miniature chocolate bars, chewy taffy squares, bubble gums and sweet lollipops ready for Halloween? Many manufacturers rely on high-quality Domtar candy wrappers to make sure each piece of candy remains intact and fresh from the factory line to the trick-or-treat bag.
We make a variety of products for candy including stick paper and twisting and confectionary papers. These papers are sold to converters who transform them into the candy wrappers and packaging you see at the store.
“Our paper is known for its strength, consistency and high-gloss look, which makes it work for all types of products, whether it’s twisted around toffees, folded over gum or wrapped around chocolate bars,” says Kelley Shepherd, customer marketing manager for Domtar Converting and Specialty Papers.
Domtar Candy Wrappers: A Cut Above
What makes a great candy wrapper? Shepherd says there are two main priorities for Domtar candy wrappers:
- Keep moisture, heat and other external factors from affecting the candy.
- Provide a canvas for the brand and logo.
Our wrappers also feature other characteristics, depending on the type of candy being wrapped. Paper that will be twisted around taffy or lollipops needs to be strong to hold up to the wrapping process. Squares of taffy or sticks of gum require a dead fold (meaning it won’t unfold spontaneously) that doesn’t weaken the integrity of the wrapper.
Domtar candy wrappers meet all of these criteria and more. It starts with a paper that’s both lightweight and high density. The basis weight of candy wrapper paper is 18.5 to 23 pounds, making it easy to wrap and twist. Specialty fillers ensure that this lightweight paper is strong enough to hold up during the converting process as well as during packaging and shipping so it’s still intact when it reaches the consumer.
Many Domtar candy wrappers go through wet waxing, which provides a barrier to protect the candy. Waxing also adds strength to the paper so it won’t tear while going through high-speed twisting and folding machines, and it helps create a good fold around products such as gum or taffy. Foldability, in particular, gives paper candy wrappers an advantage over film wrappers.
The final touch on Domtar candy wrappers is the finish. “You can print wonderful graphics on our candy papers because of the finish we use,” says Shepherd. “The high-gloss finish draws people to our paper because it really makes the manufacturer’s logo pop.”
The glossy finish on Domtar candy wrappers might lead you to believe they’re made with a coated paper product. In fact, all of our candy wrapper papers start with uncoated paper.
“Uncoated papers provide more strength than coated papers of the same basis weight,” Shepherd says. “With our soft-nip finish, the uncoated paper ends up with a good gloss, giving manufacturers the shine they want on the finished product.”
This Halloween, take a closer look at the miniature candy bars and other delicious treats you raid from your kid’s trick-or-treat stash. Domtar candy wrappers help make your sweet snack possible, today and every day of the year.
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