Starburst (candy) facts for kids
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Cherry (red), lemon (yellow), strawberry (pink) and orange flavoured starbursts
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| Owner | Mars |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1959 (as Opal Fruits) 1967 (as M&M's Fruit Chewies) 1968 (as Starburst) |
| Markets | Asia, Canada, Europe, United States and Mexico |
| Tagline | Unexplainably Juicy |
Starburst is a popular chewy, fruit-flavored candy. It was first known as Opal Fruits. This candy is made by The Wrigley Company, which is a part of Mars, Incorporated. Starburst candies come in many different types. Some popular ones are Tropical, Sour, FaveREDs, and Original.
The candy first came out in the United Kingdom in 1959. The first flavors were blackcurrant, lemon and lime, orange, and strawberry.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Starburst
How Starburst Began
The candy was first launched by Mars in the UK in 1959. It was called Opal Fruits. A person named Peter Phillips won a competition to name the candy. He won £5 for his idea!
Opal Fruits were made in a factory in Slough, Berkshire. The first four flavors were strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime.
From Opal Fruits to Starburst
In 1967, the candy came to the United States. It was first called M&M's Fruit Chewies. But by 1968, its name changed to Starburst. A food scientist named Aaron L. Brody suggested the new name. He thought "M&M's" sounded too much like chocolate.
The name "Starburst" likely came from the idea of a "burst of flavor" in each bite. It also fit well with the excitement about space travel at that time.
Flavor Changes Over Time
When Starburst first came out, it had the same flavors as Opal Fruits. But in the US, the lime flavor was replaced by cherry in the early 1980s. Later, new types like "Sunshine Flavors" (now "Tropical Opal Fruits") were added.
In Europe, lemon and lime flavors were combined. This made space for a new blackcurrant flavor.
The Name Change and Return
The name Opal Fruits was stopped in the UK and Ireland by 1998. This was to make the candy name the same all over the world. However, Mars brought back Opal Fruits for a short time in 2008. They did this with the supermarket chain Asda.
In 2008, Mars bought Wrigley. Starburst and other non-chocolate candies then became part of the Wrigley company.
Today, the original flavors are called "Original Fruits." Starburst now has many different mixes. These include FaveREDs, Tropical, Sour, and Very Berry. Some other flavors added over the years are Strawberry Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Kiwi, Banana, Mango, Blueberry, and Watermelon.
Starburst Ingredients
In the UK, Starburst candies are suitable for vegetarians. Their packaging says "Suitable for Vegetarians." They also do not have artificial colors or flavors. However, in the US, Starburst contains gelatin. Gelatin is an ingredient that comes from animals.
Recent Changes and Discontinuation
Lime Starburst came back for a limited time in 2007. It was part of the "Baja" version. In the UK, a new type called Starburst Choozers was also released. These are chews with a liquid fruit juice center.
The advertising slogan for Starburst has been "Unexplainably Juicy" since 2016.
In March 2020, the Opal Fruits name was brought back again for a short time in the UK. These bags had the four original flavors: lemon, strawberry, orange, and lime.
Starburst candies were stopped in New Zealand in April 2021. They were also stopped in Australia in June 2022. Starburst had been sold in Australia since 1996.
In 2021, food regulators in the European Union found that an ingredient called titanium dioxide could be unhealthy. This ingredient was in Starburst and other foods. Because of this, the EU stopped the sale of foods with titanium dioxide. This ban fully started on August 7, 2022.
As of November 2022, Mars Inc. stopped making the Duos and Tropical flavors of Starburst.
In March 2023, a law was proposed in California to ban certain food additives. This included titanium dioxide, which is found in Starburst. The law was signed in October 2023. However, titanium dioxide was removed from the list of banned ingredients at the last minute.
Starburst Marketing and Ads
Famous Slogans
In the 1970s, Opal Fruits were famous in the UK for their jingle. The jingle was "Opal Fruits—made to make your mouth water!" It also listed the four flavors: orange, lemon, strawberry, lime.
Fun Commercials
Starburst has used many ways to advertise. They even had a special candy for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. They replaced some flavors with "Royal Berry Punch."
In 2002, Starburst made a song for Australia called "Get Your Juices Going". It was released as a CD single.
In 2007, a Starburst commercial for "Berries and Creme" flavor became very popular online. It was called "The Little Lad Dance." It showed a man in old-fashioned clothes singing and dancing about the candy. This commercial became popular again on TikTok in 2021.
Other Starburst Products
Starburst also comes in many other forms. These include "fruit twists," ropes, candy corn, popsicles, and gum. They have also been made into jelly beans, fruit roll-ups, and even yogurt.
Until 2021, the company made heart-shaped jelly beans for Valentine's Day. In 2021, Starburst released its first vegan gummy candy in the US.
From 1997 to 2020, other Starburst products were made for Australia and New Zealand. These included "Snakes" gummies and "Sucks" lollipops.
See also
In Spanish: Starburst (caramelos) para niños
