It's a start

A complete first run batch.Not for consumption just to iron out a few kinks.The heart shaped candies need 7cm x 7cm of cellophane wrapper per sweet,meaning I can wrap a few thousand sweets per role.Presentation is key,hence this orange brown candy will not be the colour of the first actual production batch.I need something that screams"CHRISTMAS"

What I've been waiting for

This is what I've been waiting for molds,I was expecting metal molds but food grade plastic is even better.

Back To Food/Candy Making

SVG is great in terms of raw materials however, most of the food industries here are amateurish with 3 exceptions.The packaging is an important part in any product.St.Vincent doesn't manufacture packaging with the exception of a few plastic materials.Hence most packaging is imported from Trinidad.I found a quaint packaging business with packaging to suit my needs.I advised someone on how Jams are made professionally and was told about this place.This is a sample of what's available.


I am a food chemist everything is possible,I can think of hundreds of things I can make to fill these packages.The question is finding a product with sufficient competitive advantage.Right now it's candy but I have to be prepared to back it up with other products.Right now I'm looking at purchasing clam shells for secondary packaging,vacuum bags for my dehydrated products,and bottles for flavourants and ingredients.This place Packaging Plus is truly a find.I got lost looking for it a month ago.But I didn't mind because the view is spectacular:

Anticipation

The candy molds are finally here.I just have to get them cleared.I must admit there's anticipation and fear,it's a big step but if we don't deveop this country,who will?

Interesting

The ylang ylang extraction is finished.The scent is truly remarkable, better than most commercial perfumes.It still needs a to be combined with a base/earthy scent,the fragrance is sweet.This fragrance extraction is a sidetrack but it seems just as equally viable.Life is good.The candy molds should arrive soon but if they don't I'm really looking forward to finding new fragrances,and chemically manipulating them later on.

Ylang Ylang Extract (White Light and Black Light)

Worth considering?

The market for essential oils exists,I realized that 2 years ago when I was approached by a vendor about supplying.I thought about it and dismissed the idea.If I enter this market ,which I intend to later on it will be at the upscale end.Right now food chem is my primary focus.
Nevertheless I did a walk through Kingstown to get a feel for what's out there in terms of oils.Fundamentally a waste of my time at the lower end because there's no challenge in it.Perfumery is a whole other ball game well worth my time.But food first.

Downtime

A 2 week downtime while I await the candy molds,nevertheless I have been keeping busy with some natural product extraction.This is in keeping with books upon books on essential oils and perfumes I've read on the side, not to mention some natural product chem I've done officially as part of my degree.If I have another love besides food chem, nat prod would be it, vacations spent just compiling information on plants traditionally grown and used here .The sad thing is that this knowledge is in the hands of the oldest generation.Getting as much knowledge of traditional plants then applying modern chemistry, is not just about nationalism,it's pretty sustainable chemistry too. It's good to stretch that muscle a bit,and who knows?maybe this will pay off later on:
Cloves(Eugenol Extraction)
Myristicin (nutmeg extract)
Cinnamon Extract
Perfume Tree (Ylang Ylang Extraction)
My General Chemistry(electronics etc. etc.) Work Area(slightly larger than university workbench l.o.l) (Phenol red and Bromothymol blue not food colour l.o.l)



Equipment Hotplate for beakers etc (for further experiments) and an Aspirator (to test dispersal of fragrance)

And of Course my references cuz science without references is truly mad science l.o.l
1.)Phytochem database(a plant chemical(nat prod) reference database)
2.)FAO nutmeg and its derivatives
3.)Ylang ylang wikipedia

The Quest For Perfection

After months of trial I finally have my candy formulations down (temperature, time, flavours, types of sugar). I am awaiting the molds so I can begin my first professional batch(of thousands).I am hoping to have it all ready by Christmas.To be a dreamer,to have hope in a seemingly hopeless country is amazing.(Economically we are one of the better Caribbean countries so why is there this aura of gloom and doom?)
In the meantime I am working on the extraction of natural oils from local plants,for fragrances in future.Working on teaching myself marketing as well,hopefully this wont be a one person company for too long.But that depends on how successful my products are.Taste tests thus far have shown improvements (taste testers actually wanted to buy the samples"This is good enough to sell right now!").Still I quest for perfection.Perfection in flavour,perfection in presentation,perfection in advertising,everything has to be perfect.This isn't about being good enough to sell in SVG it's about being able to sell anywhere on the planet.I know they're good I never give out samples until I've had a few myself.
Candies aren't what they used to be,the low quality crap Trinidad exports to our country was reason enough to go into candy making.Where have all the quality stuff gone?And not just candy,I mean in general.

How It All Began

First off allow me to introduce myself my name is Dave Thomas, Vincentian by nationality,food chemist by training.
My intro to food chem began 2 years ago,at the University Of The West Indies Mona, my initial reaction was "a big way of saying home economics",but over time I realized that I not only liked it,I loved it.The knowledge,of food,the changes it undergoes,it's composition, the supermarket shelves never looked the same since.The practical,hands on aspect of food I also found that I loved,what's more we got to sample our products and they weren't just edible,they were pretty good.I spent summer breaks just looking at the possibilities within my own country.I finished all required courses in december 2006 then completed an FDA Better Process shool in january.Soon I was back home and it was time to turn my dreams to reality,to start my own company, use what I know and love every minute of it.Easier said than done.....

I am in full candy making mode peppermint,butterscotch,coffee, the creative process is truly amazing,and it tastes pretty great too.Photos worth a thousand words and great marketing too l.o.l.