By bizn_fun 
Three years ago, Prof Hartel noticed more small players competing for a share of the freeze-dried candy market, but now larger brands, such as Hershey, want in on the viral trend.
“I wonder if the more independent businesses won’t be able to compete,” he says.
For Ms Goldfarb and Mr Barlett, when the sizable corporations take notice, the crowded shelves adds more validation to what they do.
“It’s hopeful to see big-brand adoption after we do something so unprecedented,” says Mr Barlett, “and I can see us taking on these brands by continuing to innovate, by not being satisfied with the status quo.”
Prof Hartel, who teaches candy science to his students, wonders if freeze-dried candy “will just be a fad, but you never know if long-time customers will continue to come back to a type of sweet they didn’t really enjoy when it was chewy.”
But for passionate fans of this brittle candy, there’s one pitfall.
Much like crisps and crackers, the packaging is crucial. “If there’s a barrier for me when it comes to this candy, it’s that they are often crushed in the bag due to how fragile they are,” says Ms West. “Also, they can be expensive.”
Ms Goldfarb is bullish on the future for her company and their competitors. “People want innovation in candy, and they want to try something fun and novel,” she says, “and that really resonates with consumers.”