History Channel Presents: Modern Marvels - Candy (DVD, 2006)

‘Candy’, a Modern Marvels feature from the History Channel, is a very enjoyable program with an emphasis on manufacturing innovations that have enabled companies to mass produce candy. The many filmed sequences of various recipes for well known candies being mixed and processed, measured and shaped, and moved along vast conveyor belts and packaging assembly lines is certainly interesting viewing.

Some of the candy manufacturers that are visited in this program are; the Hershey processing plant in Hershey Pennsylvania, the Jelly Belly processing plant in Fairfield California, and the See’s Candies facility in Los Angeles California. The Hershey Company demonstrates the processing advances in not only the making of the candy itself, but also the packaging of the individual pieces on a large scale that have allowed them to become one of the leading manufactures of chocolate candy. The Annabel Candy Company processing facility in California is visited also, where some of the latest technologies are examined for wrapping and packaging the ‘Big Hunk’ and ‘Abazaba’ candy bars they produce. There is also a visit to a Gourmet Chocolate factory, and a trip to a more nostalgic handmade candy factory and store, where all the candy is still made and prepared by employees with hand prepared techniques.

Another interesting aspect of this program are the examples of how the use of Robotic technologies have dramatically helped the processing of candy, and are used for dividing and turning candy during the cooking stages, and also moving trays and heavy boxes of the finished products. All of these robotic innovations help save employees from having to labor through very monotonous and repetitive steps, and heavy lifting, involved in the manufacturing process. Both See’s Candies and the Jelly Belly Company demonstrate how the use of Robotics has advanced their processing and greatly increases the quantity of candy that they are able to produce.

(the total playing time is 50 minutes)

What fun! I work with Seniors and I'm always looking for something to peak their interest. What better way than this video and a Hershey's candy bar for everyone who shows up! Just watching the video will make you want one!