Smashmallow, a startup backed by food investment firm Sonoma Brands, launched in 2016 to rave reviews; one went so far as to call them "divine." The snackable handmade marshmallow cubes came in various flavors, the most popular was the cinnamon churro. As the company looked to scale, it turned to Tanis, a Dutch machine builder that specializes in custom candy production lines. The company boasts that it's "crazy about candy production."

Unfortunately for Smashmallow, the company got all the crazy and none of the production. Tanis delivered the Smashmallow machine in late July 2019; it cost some $3 million. When it was first installed, the line produced so much toxic dust that a third-party consultant said it was an explosion hazard. Employees near the machine had to wear respirators.