HULL, Iowa — Foreign Candy Company has built its reputation on bringing unique confectionery concepts from around the world to American consumers. Its latest innovation, Jaw Jamz, may be one of its most distinctive offerings yet.
The Iowa-based candy company recently introduced Jaw Jamz, a strawberry-flavored audio lollipop that uses bone-conduction technology to allow consumers to hear music while enjoying a sweet treat. The product debuted at the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Las Vegas and is now available for retail ordering.
Unlike a traditional lollipop, Jaw Jamz incorporates an audio chip inside the stick that converts music into vibrations. Those vibrations travel through the user’s teeth and jaw to the inner ear, creating a listening experience through bone conduction technology. Each lollipop contains two interchangeable 15-second songs that users can switch between while enjoying the candy.
While bone-conduction technology has been used in headphones and other electronic devices for years, Foreign Candy Company saw an opportunity to adapt it for the confectionery category.
“We’re always looking for innovative products from around the world,” said William Minnick, product and brand manager at Foreign Candy Company. “When we discovered this technology, we saw an opportunity to bring something unique and exciting to consumers.”
The launch reflects a broader trend within the confectionery industry as manufacturers look beyond traditional flavors and formats to create products that offer memorable experiences. Minnick said today’s consumers increasingly want more than just a sweet treat.
“Consumers are looking for experiences, not just flavors,” he said. “That creates opportunities for products that are interactive and memorable.”
For Foreign Candy Company, searching for those experiences has been central to its business since its founding.
The company’s roots date back to the late 1970s when founder Peter De Yager was a high school German teacher in Hull, Iowa. During a student trip to Germany, he discovered gummy bears and recognized an opportunity to introduce the product to American consumers. What began as a classroom fundraiser eventually evolved into a business that helped popularize gummy candy in the United States and led to the creation of Black Forest Gummies.
Over the years, the company expanded its portfolio through a combination of global sourcing and product innovation, developing brands such as Rips Licorice, AfterShocks Popping Candy, and PIP Squeaks Surprise, while continuing to seek out new concepts internationally.
That global outlook remains a key element of the company’s innovation strategy today.
“What’s really awesome is that we go out into the world for inspiration,” Minnick said. “That gives us the opportunity to bring products to the U.S. that consumers may have never experienced before. Sometimes it’s a new flavor, and sometimes it’s a new texture. Mochi is a great example. That texture experience comes from Japan, and those are the kinds of innovations we’re always looking to bring to the U.S. market.”
Minnick said the company’s international search for new ideas extends beyond flavors and textures to emerging technologies that can create entirely new consumer experiences. Jaw Jamz is the latest example of that approach, combining candy with an interactive audio component that sets it apart from traditional confectionery products.
The product also reflects changing consumer preferences. Jaw Jamz is sugar-free and uses natural colors rather than synthetic dyes, attributes that align with growing demand for cleaner-label products across the food and beverage industry.
The response to the product at Sweets & Snacks Expo showed that retailers continue to seek unique items that generate excitement and differentiate candy sets. With a suggested retail price of $4.99, Jaw Jamz offers an accessible novelty item that combines technology, entertainment and confectionery in a single product.
As the company looks ahead, Minnick said Foreign Candy Company will continue to search the globe for the next idea to surprise and delight consumers.
“Whether it’s a new flavor, a new texture or a new technology, we’re always searching for something consumers haven’t experienced before,” he said.
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