Best Specialty & Candy Food Stocks 2021

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 16,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 80 brands around the world that drive $8 billionin annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's®, Reese's®, Kit Kat®, Jolly Rancher®, Ice Breakers®, SkinnyPop®, and Pirate's Booty®. For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. With over $5 billion in annual sales across 160 countries and territories, the company manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry including e-commerce channels, grocery, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Its most popular brands include McCormick, French's, Frank's RedHot, Stubb's, OLD BAY, Lawry's, Zatarain's, Ducros, Vahiné, Cholula, Schwartz, Kamis, DaQiao, Club House, Aeroplane and Gourmet Garden. Every day, no matter where or what you eat or drink, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick.

Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a diverse portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets and is found in nearly 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®,Smucker's® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse the company in consumer preferences and acting responsibly, it will continue growing our business and the positive impact the company has on society.

Lamb Weston is a leading supplier of frozen potato, sweet potato, appetizer and vegetable products to restaurants and retailers around the world. For 70 years, Lamb Weston has led the industry in innovation, introducing inventive products that simplify back-of-house management for its customers and make things more delicious for their customers. From the fields where Lamb Weston potatoes are grown to proactive customer partnerships, Lamb Weston always strives for more and never settles. Because, when it looks at a potato, it sees possibilities.

Post Holdings, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a consumer packaged goods holding company operating in the center-of-the-store, refrigerated, foodservice, food ingredient and convenient nutrition food categories. Through its Post Consumer Brands business, Post is a leader in the North American ready-to-eat cereal category offering a broad portfolio including recognized brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, Pebbles™, Great Grains® and Malt-O-Meal® bag cereal. Post also is a leader in the United Kingdom ready-to-eat cereal category with the iconic Weetabix® brand. As a leader in refrigerated foods, Post delivers innovative, value-added egg and refrigerated potato products to the foodservice channel and the retail refrigerated side dish category, offering side dish, egg, cheese and sausage products through the Bob Evans®, Simply Potatoes® and Crystal Farms® brands. Post’s publicly-traded subsidiary BellRing Brands, Inc. is a holding company operating in the global convenient nutrition category through its primary brands of Premier Protein®, Dymatize® and PowerBar®. Post participates in the private brand food category through its investment with third parties in 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc., a leading, private brand centric, consumer products holding company.

Freshpet's mission is to improve the lives of dogs and cats through the power of fresh, real food. Freshpet foods are blends of fresh meats, vegetables and fruits farmed locally and made at its Kitchens in Bethlehem PA. The Company thoughtfully prepares its foods using natural ingredients, cooking them in small batches at lower temperatures to preserve the natural goodness of the ingredients. Freshpet foods and treats are kept refrigerated from the moment they are made until they arrive at Freshpet Fridges in local markets.

Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2019 sales of $4.1 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, and Tastykake.

Hostess Brands, Inc. is a leading packaged food company focused on developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing fresh baked sweet goods and cookies in North America. The Hostess® brand's history dates back to 1919, when the Hostess® CupCake was introduced to the public, followed by Twinkies® in 1930. Today, the Company produces a variety of new and classic treats in addition to Twinkies® and CupCakes, including Donettes®, Ding Dongs®, Zingers®, Danishes, Honey Buns and Coffee Cakes. In January 2020, the Company acquired Voortman Cookies Limited which produces a variety of cookies and wafers products, including sugar-free products under the Voortman® brand.

J&J Snack Foods Corp. is a leader and innovator in the snack food industry, providing innovative, niche and affordable branded snack foods and beverages to foodservice and retail supermarket outlets. Manufactured and distributed nationwide, its principal products include SUPERPRETZEL, the #1 soft pretzel brand in the world, as well as internationally known ICEE and SLUSH PUPPIE frozen beverages, LUIGI'S Real Italian Ice, MINUTE MAID* frozen ices, WHOLE FRUIT sorbet and frozen fruit bars, SOUR PATCH KIDS** Flavored Ice Pops, Tio Pepe's & CALIFORNIA CHURROS, and THE FUNNEL CAKE FACTORY funnel cakes and several bakery brands.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. is primarily engaged in the production, grading, packing and sale of fresh shell eggs, including conventional, cage-free, organic and nutritionally enhanced eggs. The Company, which is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States and sells the majority of its shell eggs in states across the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

Nomad Foods is Europe's leading frozen foods company. The company's portfolio of iconic brands, which includes Birds Eye, Findus, Iglo, Aunt Bessie's and Goodfella's, have been a part of consumers' meals for generations, standing for great tasting food that is convenient, high quality and nutritious. Nomad Foods is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Fresh Del Monte is one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as a leading producer and distributor of prepared food in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Fresh Del Monte markets its products worldwide under the DEL MONTE® brand (under license from Del Monte Foods, Inc.), a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness and reliability for over 125 years. The Company also markets its products under the MANN™ brand and other related trademarks. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Del Monte Foods, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited, Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd

Launched in 1896 by the popularity of a single product, the iconic oblong piece of chewy, chocolate candy - Tootsie Roll Industries has grown to become one of the country's largest candy companies, with a lineup that includes some of the world's most popular candy, chocolate, and bubble gum brands.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) is a processor, packager, marketer and distributor of nut and dried fruit based products that are sold under a variety of private brands and under the Company’s Fisher®, Orchard Valley Harvest®, Squirrel Brand®, Southern Style Nuts® and Sunshine Country® brand names.

The Hain Celestial Group, headquartered in Lake Success, NY, is a leading organic and natural products company with operations in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Hain Celestial participates in many natural categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings®, Clarks™, Cully & Sully®, Dream®, Earth's Best®, Ella's Kitchen®, Farmhouse Fare™, Frank Cooper's®, GG UniqueFiber®, Gale's®, Garden of Eatin'®, Hain Pure Foods®, Hartley's®, Health Valley®, Imagine®, Joya®, Lima®, Linda McCartney's™ (under license), MaraNatha®, Natumi®, New Covent Garden Soup Co.®, Robertson's®, Sensible Portions®, Spectrum®, Sun-Pat®, , Terra®, The Greek Gods®, William's™, Yorkshire Provender® and Yves Veggie Cuisine®. The Company's personal care products are marketed under the Alba Botanica®, Avalon Organics®, Earth's Best®, JASON®, Live Clean®, One Step® and Queen Helene® brands.

SunOpta Inc. is a leading company specializing in the sourcing, processing and production of organic, natural and non-GMO plant- and fruit-based food and beverage products.

Seneca Foods is one of North America's leading providers of packaged fruits and vegetables, with facilities located throughout the United States. Its high quality products are primarily sourced from over 1,600 American farms. Seneca holds the largest share of the retail private label, food service, and export canned vegetable markets, distributing to over 90 countries. Products are also sold under the highly regarded brands of Libby's®, Aunt Nellie's®, Green Valley®, CherryMan®, READ®, and Seneca labels, including Seneca snack chips.

Calavo Growers, Inc. is a global avocado-industry leader and provider of value-added fresh food serving retail grocery, foodservice, club stores, mass merchandisers, food distributors and wholesalers worldwide. The Company's Fresh segment procures and markets fresh avocados and select other fresh produce, including tomatoes and papayas. The Renaissance Food Group (RFG) segment creates, markets and distributes a portfolio of healthy, fresh foods, including fresh-cut fruit, fresh-cut vegetables and prepared foods. The Foods segment manufactures and distributes guacamole and salsa. Founded in 1924, Calavo's fresh food products are sold under the respected Calavo brand name as well as Garden Highway, Chef Essentials and a variety of private label and store brands.

Nature's Sunshine Products, a leading natural health and wellness company, markets and distributes nutritional and personal care products in more than 40 countries. Nature's Sunshine manufactures most of its products through its own state-of-the-art facilities to ensure its products continue to set the standard for the highest quality, safety and efficacy on the market today.

Bridgford Foods Corporation manufactures snack foods. The Company offers products such as sliced luncheon meats and cheeses, wieners, bacon, sandwiches, biscuits, bread, and roll dough items. Bridgford Foods serves customers in the United States.

Founded in 1912, Farmer Bros. Co. is a national coffee roaster, wholesaler, equipment servicer, and distributor of coffee, tea, and culinary products. The Company's product lines include organic, Direct Trade, and sustainably produced coffee. With a robust line of coffee, hot and iced teas, cappuccino mixes, spices, and baking/biscuit mixes, the Company delivers extensive beverage planning services and culinary products to its U.S.-based customers. The Company serves a wide variety of customers, from small independent restaurants and foodservice operators to large institutional buyers like restaurant, department and convenience store chains, hotels, casinos, healthcare facilities, and gourmet coffee houses, as well as grocery chains with private brand coffee and consumer branded coffee and tea products, and foodservice distributors.

Natural Alternatives International Inc. (NAI), headquartered in Carlsbad, California, is a leading formulator, manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements and provides strategic partnering services to its customers. Its comprehensive partnership approach offers a wide range of innovative nutritional products and services to its clients including scientific research, clinical studies, proprietary ingredients, customer-specific nutritional product formulation, product testing and evaluation, marketing management and support, packaging and delivery system design, regulatory review and international product registration assistance.