Skittles (confectionery) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Skittles
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy	1,680 kJ (400 kcal)

Carbohydrates	90.7 g
Sugars	75.6 g
Dietary fibre	0 g


Fat	4.4 g
Saturated	3.9 g
Trans	0 g


Protein	0 g


Vitamins	Quantity %DV^†
Vitamin A equiv.	0% 0 μg
Vitamin C	31% 26 mg


Minerals	Quantity %DV^†
Calcium	0% 0 mg
Iron	0% 0 mg
Sodium	1% 15.1 mg

Amounts converted and rounded to be relative to 100 g serving.
^†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. Source: NutritionData

Skittles are colorful, fruit-flavored candies shaped like small lentils. They are made and sold by the Wrigley Company, which is part of Mars Inc..

Each Skittle has a hard sugar shell with the letter 'S' printed on it, much like M&M's have an 'M'. Inside, Skittles are mostly made of sugar, corn syrup, and special plant-based oils. They also contain real fruit juice, citric acid (which makes them a bit tart), and different flavors. You can find Skittles in many exciting flavor mixes, like Tropical, Wild Berry, Smoothie, and Sour.

Discovering Skittles: A Sweet History
Skittles Flavors and Varieties
- Flavor Changes Over Time
- New Skittles Products
See also

Discovering Skittles: A Sweet History

Skittles first appeared in 1971, introduced by a British company called Jack Candies. This company was a distributor for Mars, Incorporated. By 1974, Mars had officially registered the name "Skittles" in the U.S.

Skittles Arrive in the U.S.

Skittles became widely available across the United States by 1979. Production of the candy then began in the U.S. in 1982. Later, in 2008, Mars' Wrigley division took over the Skittles company.

What's in a Name?

The name "Skittles" comes from an old sports game. The candies look a bit like the small pins used in that game.

"Taste the Rainbow" Slogan

The famous "taste the rainbow" slogan for Skittles was created by an advertising agency in New York. It's one of the most well-known candy slogans!

Bilingual (English/French) Canadian packet of Skittles

Skittles Go Digital

In 2009, Skittles started a new way to market their candy online. Their official website became a small window that let people easily visit their YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Twitter account. This was a big step in how companies used social media to connect with fans.

Skittles for Everyone

Also in 2009, Skittles stopped using gelatin from animals in their candies. This change made Skittles suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and people with certain religious diets.

Skittles and Important Events

Skittles have sometimes been part of important public discussions. For example, in 2012, after a sad event, people used Skittles as a symbol during rallies. Later, in 2016, Skittles responded to a social media post that used their candy as an example for a serious topic. The company's careful and direct response was praised.

Supporting Pride Month

In 2016, Skittles temporarily changed their candy colors from the usual rainbow to all white. This was done to support Pride month, which celebrates LGBT rights and London Pride. The special colorless candies came in packaging that also matched the white theme. On the back of these packages, the company explained that they were giving up their rainbow so that the community's rainbow could be the main focus.

While many people liked this idea, some were confused. They wondered if going all-white might not fully represent the diversity of the LGBT community. Despite this, Skittles has continued this tradition every June. They change their candy colors to raise awareness for Pride and donate money to LGBT charities, like the Switchboard helpline in the United Kingdom. For the 2020 Pride edition in the United States, Skittles changed the candy colors to all gray with the message "Only one rainbow matters during PRIDE."

Creative Marketing Campaigns

Skittles is known for its unique and sometimes unusual marketing. For example, in 2018, they made a Super Bowl commercial that was shown to only one person! In 2019, they created a special pre-Super Bowl event: a live musical called Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical, which was performed only once in New York City.

Skittles and Health

Skittles are sometimes used by people with diabetes to quickly treat hypoglycemia, which is when blood sugar levels drop too low.

Food Additive Concerns

In 2021, food regulators in the European Union found that titanium dioxide, a common additive used in many foods, including Skittles, might not be safe. This led to the EU stopping the sale of foods with titanium dioxide by August 2022.

In July 2022, a lawsuit was filed in California about the continued use of titanium dioxide in Skittles. However, this lawsuit was later dropped in November 2022.

In March 2023, a bill was introduced in California that aimed to ban several food additives, including titanium dioxide, that are linked to health problems. While titanium dioxide was later removed from the list in that specific bill, California is working to ban some additives that are already banned in the European Union.

Skittles Flavors and Varieties

Skittles come in many different flavors and colors, including sour ones. Skittles often tease new flavors on their social media pages.

Flavor Changes Over Time

In 2013, Skittles changed the lime-flavored candies to green apple in the United States and Canada. Many fans were not happy about this change! The lime flavor did return in special "Darkside" and "Long Lost Lime" packets for a limited time. In September 2021, Skittles announced that the original lime flavor would replace green apple again.

New Skittles Products

In 2022, Skittles Gummies were released, offering a chewy version of the candy. In October 2024, Skittles introduced "Skittles POP'd," which are freeze-dried Skittles available in Original and Sour flavors.