ST. LOUIS — Year after year, Ken Kellerhals resolved to lose weight. Year after year, his candy factory did him in.
Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier makes hundreds of confections in chilly, bare-floored kitchens here. Workers stir copper pots of caramel with long wooden spoons, decorate creams and truffles and toffees by hand, and brush each milk-chocolate bunny to a gloss before wrapping it in foil.
When he bought the company a decade ago, Kellerhals promised his wife he'd eat just one chocolate a day. The reality? "Let's just say, I sampled a lot more than I should have," he said.
As 2005 approached, Kellerhals once again resolved to diet. But he wanted to do it without giving up the best his factory had to offer.
And so Spa Chocolates were born.
"Shed your guilt," the slim yellow box urges. "Treat yourself to good health."
Inside are seven chocolates, one for each day of the week, each accompanied by an upbeat promise: The almonds in Wednesday's dark chocolate acorn may stave off heart disease. The antioxidants in Thursday's sugar-free cherry cordial will keep you looking young.
Each ingredient has been chosen by a dietitian, the package assures, "to give you a week's worth of health benefits and enjoyment."
The claims astound -- and distress -- some nutrition experts. True, blueberries are packed with antioxidants, but there aren't nearly enough folded into Monday's dark chocolate cup to count as a single serving of fruit, much less improve anyone's health.
"Candy is candy," says Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University.
But Kellerhals is undaunted. And he has the force of a trend behind him.
Supermarkets these days are full of enriched and fortified products, known in the industry as "functional foods." Certain brands of margarine, popcorn and even orange juice promise to lower cholesterol. Cereals, though studded with marshmallows, contain whole grains to stave off cancer. Eggs are boosted with omega-3 fatty acids to improve heart health.
Sales of such products in the U.S. topped $10 billion last year, according to the market research firm Mintel International. Bakery and cereal products are the top sellers by far. But sweets and treats are coming on fast. In the last five years, manufacturers have introduced 56 snack foods and 42 confections marketed primarily for their reputed health benefits.
