Airheads (candy) facts for kids
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| Type | Taffy |
|---|---|
| Owner | Perfetti Van Melle |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | August 7, 1985 |
| Markets | North America, United Kingdom |
| Previous owners | Van Melle NV |
| Tagline | "Play more. Play delicious." |
Airheads are a popular American candy. They are a type of chewy candy called taffy. The company Perfetti Van Melle, from Italy and the Netherlands, owns Airheads. Steve Bruner created this candy on August 7, 1985. You can find Airheads all over the United States and Canada. There are many different flavors to choose from.
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The Company Behind Airheads
Perfetti Van Melle USA Inc. is the company that makes Airheads. Their main factory is in Erlanger, Kentucky. This factory has been making candy since 1982. It is a very large factory, about 120,000 square feet. Around 200 people work there to make your favorite candies.
Airheads Flavors and Types
Airheads candy comes in long, colorful strips. Each strip is wrapped individually. There are many exciting flavors to try:
- Cherry (red)
- Blue Raspberry (blue)
- Watermelon (green)
- Green Apple (light green)
- Strawberry (dark pink)
- White Mystery (white)
- Orange (orange)
- Grape (purple)
- Pink Lemonade (pink)
- Citrus Rush (yellow-green)
- Strawberry & Watermelon (pink and green striped)
- Blue Raspberry & Cherry (blue and red striped)
You can also find these flavors in smaller, mini-sized Airheads. Sometimes, special edition flavors are released. These often celebrate popular characters like Superman, SpongeBob, or Spider-Man.
Other Airheads Products
Airheads also makes "Airheads Xtremes." These are fruit rolls that have a sour taste. There are also "Airheads Pops," which are lollipops. They come in flavors like apple, blue raspberry, strawberry, and grape.
In 2007, special "Blue Mystery Blast" bars were given to travelers. This happened on JetBlue Airways for Halloween.
In 2013, "Airheads Bites" were released. These are small, chewy candies with a candy shell. They come in flavors like Cherry, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and Mystery.
In 2015, Airheads teamed up with Koldwave Foods LLC. They created "Airheads ice cream." This ice cream came in eight different flavors. You could also find ice cream sandwiches and sundae cups with Airheads flavors. In 2019, "Airheads Paradise Blends" came out. These had tropical flavors like Cherry Pineapple Blast and Blue Hawaiian.
How Airheads Are Made
Airheads are made in a way that is similar to how Play-Doh is produced. The main ingredient in Airheads is sugar. The candy uses taffy, which makes it soft and stretchy.
The candy is made on a long conveyor belt. The taffy moves through different sugars and sweeteners. This process makes the candy thinner and gives it its shape. Finally, the candy is packaged. The machines can stir about 3,000 pounds of taffy at once. All Airheads sold in the United States are made in the factory in Erlanger, Kentucky.
Where Airheads Are Sold
Airheads were first sold in Canada and the United States. In 2015, the company started selling them in the United Kingdom. "Airheads Xtremes" and "Bars" are made in the US. "Airheads Pops" are made and sold in Mexico and Spain.
Airheads Advertising
In 2000, Perfetti Van Melle worked with Mattel. They created advertisements aimed at children in the USA. These ads were shown on kids' TV channels like Fox Kids and Nickelodeon. The ads offered chances to win trips to Disneyland. They also had coupons for Mattel's "X-V Xtreme Skateboarders."
In 2003, more commercials started airing on Nickelodeon. A website, Airheads.nick.com, even held a poll for a Green Slime flavor. This was a special flavor linked to the network.
In 2023, a fun challenge about Airheads went viral on TikTok. Users discovered new ways to enjoy the candy.
Images for kids
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Airheads logo
