Morinaga Launches Another New Candy: Hi-Chew Bites

• Morinaga Continues Aggressive Expansion in U.S.
• Hi-Chew Bites Is All-New – with Candy Coating over Chewy Center.
• Plus:  New 7-Ounce Gusset Bag of original Hi-Chew Added to Mix.

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2016 -- Morinaga America has announced two more additions to its rapidly expanding product line.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f2f8c5b-ad6d-4832-b6e7-9a19003e80b2

The first is Hi-Chew Bites.  As the name suggests, Bites are a smaller version of Hi-Chew candy.  Each piece features a thin candy shell for quick and easy snacking.

Initially, Hi-Chew Bites are being offered in a resealable 1.59-ounce stand-up pouch, and each bag holds two different flavors.  Two versions are now available: 

Grape and Strawberry

Mango and Orange

The second addition to Morinaga’s product line is a 7-ounce gusset bag of original Hi-Chew.  The new bag is the latest “Made in USA” product from Morinaga’s factory in North Carolina, and contains individually wrapped pieces of Hi-Chew in Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, and Grape.

“Hi-Chew Bites are one of the most important products Morinaga has ever introduced,” said Terry Kawabe, MA's Director COO, Senior VP.  “Like our all-new Hi-Chew Sours, and our new 14- and 7-ounce bags of ‘Made in USA’ Hi-Chew, Bites are going to be a central feature of our expanding product line in the U.S.”

MA Marketing Manager Jennifer Moling said, “The resealable bag and candy shell of these smaller Hi-Chew Bites make them a perfect snack for anyone on the go.  From school to an office to your car, it’s a perfect little treat, offering our classic fruit taste with a new texture that’s unique to Bites, but still delivers that famous Hi-Chew chewiness.”

About Morinaga & Hi-Chew: 

The history of Hi-Chew stretches back over a century, when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought candy-making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s.  Hi-Chew has long been the #1 soft candy in Japan, and in recent years, has also become a hit in the rest of Asia and America, especially among the young.  In the U.S., original Hi-Chew is offered in Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Cherry, Banana, and Melon.  Hi-Chew Sours come in Lemon, Lime, and Grapefruit.  And Hi-Chew Bites are offered in Grape, Strawberry, Mango, and Orange.  Real fruit juice is blended into all our chewy candy products, which are 100% free of cholesterol or artificial colors.  Both original Hi-Chew and Sours are also gluten-free. 

Morinaga America, Inc. (sales company) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (candy production) are wholly owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first maker of chocolates in Japan.

Note:  Candy samples and high-res images available on request.

Contact:
Mike Cline
[email protected]
Direct phone:  951-217-6464
Morinaga America, Inc.
18552 MacArthur Bl., 360, Irvine, CA 92612
www.morinaga-america.com