honibe lozenges us market size

Interesting last paragraph indicates the size of the USA market for Lozenges which the Stirling products will be targeted at, 18.5 billion US Market for Lozenges.

The Honibe Honey Drop has been named as worlds best new product 2010 in the Grocery Sweet category at the SIAL dOr Awards in Paris, France.
The Honey Drop, produced by Island Abby Foods in Charlottetown, also won the Country Award - Canada as the highest scoring Canadian product for 2010. As a result of the companys high scores, the Honey Drop is one of nine finalists in the running for overall SIAL dOr Winner 2010 for the best new food product in the world. The Honey Drop is the worlds first 100% pure dried honey cube for sweetening tea and coffee.
SIAL (Salon International de l'Alimentation) is the worlds largest food tradeshow. The SIAL d'Or Awards recognizes nine of the worlds most innovative and successful new-product launches that came to market after November of 2008. The SIAL d'Or Awards are judged by a panel that is comprised of 30 judges from 30 different countries. The nine finalists were chosen from a product field of over 250 of the worlds best new products.
The Honey Drop solves a common problem: liquid honey can be messy. The Honey Drop is an individual serving (one teaspoon / 5 g.) of 100% pure dried honey without any additives. It is ideal for sweetening tea or coffee. Simply drop into a hot beverage and stir. You have all of the natural honey flavour without the usual honey mess.
To win the SIAL d'Or Country Award for Canada with our Honibe - Honey Drop as the highest scoring product from Canada was beyond our expectations, stated John Rowe, President of Island Abbey Foods Ltd. To then be named best product in the Grocery Sweet category is a phenomenal accomplishment! We are ecstatic to be representing Canada at SIAL 2010 this fall as one of only nine finalists competing for the title of best new food product in the world.
Innovation Minister Allan Campbell recently visited the plant to see plans for two new lines in the planning stages-- dehydrated honey sprinkles and botanical honey lozenges.
I am proud that my ministry has provided funding support to this innovative company through the Island Prosperity Strategy, said Campbell Island Abbey Foods methods for dehydrating honey into solid forms has allowed them to create a number of exciting products that have a good potential for success in national and international markets.
Island Abbey Foods holds the worlds first patent to dehydrate honey into a 100% pure form. Under the brand name Honibe, the company has had success with pure honey cubes to sweeten hot drinks called Honey Drops and candies called Honey Delights.
Honey Sprinkles will be designed to be used in baking or as an ingredient for industrial producers; and a range of honey lozenges that contain botanical ingredients and use no sugar, other added sweetener, flavourings, additives or preservatives. These lozenges have been developed through a partnership with the Australian company Stirling Products and will be introduced to health food conferences in North America in the coming months.
Island Abbey Foods received funding through the 2008-09 Island Prosperity Strategy Pilot Fund to purchase dehydration equipment and conduct pilot testing and through the 2009-10 Island Prosperity Strategy Discovery and Development Fund for research into a pure honey-based lozenge that can deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients.
We are extremely excited about our upcoming product launches this year, says Rowe. Our Honey Sprinkles will be available in the baking aisle in shaker bottles as well as in individual sachets on tea or coffee shop tables. Our research and development and market success to date would not have been possible without the support of PEI and the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning. Our small, growing company is grateful.
Honibe plans to market the new products in the United States, as well as Canada, and make a place for itself in the $10 billion annual US market for sugars and sweeteners and the $18.5 billion annual US market for lozenges. Island Abbey Foods currently has 20 full-time employees and 10 part-time employees.