Skittles (confectionery)

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Skittles candy
Skittles candy

Skittles are small, round fruit chews that come in a hard, sugar shell with a letter "s" printed on it. They are similar in outward appearance to the plain variety of the chocolate M&M's, which, like Skittles, are produced by MasterFoods, a division of Mars, Incorporated.

Skittles® Bite Size Candies, originally made by a company in England, were first introduced in the United States in 1974. Around 1981-1982, the production of Skittles began in the United States.[1][2] Skittles sold in the United Kingdom are made in the Czech Republic, where Mars, Incorporated makes them for export to many European Union markets. The company also produces the product in Victoria, Australia, for distribution in the New Zealand market.

Skittles are a non-kosher food and not vegetarian in the USA. However in Europe they are kosher and vegetarian because they do not contain any gelatin.

Contents

[edit] Advertising

Skittles has established itself as a popular modern product with advertising campaigns often associated with rainbows due to their color. Skittles slogans include "Taste the rainbow". There have been several television commercials, centering on surreal scenes, with people joyously receiving a bounty of Skittles raining from a rainbow in the sky.

[edit] Varieties

[edit] Original Fruit Skittles

The flavors are:

In the South Korean, Taiwan, and Australian versions of Original Fruit Skittles, Apple (green) replaces Lime and outside the United States and Canada purple is flavored blackcurrant.

[edit] Wild Berry Skittles

In 1990,[1] Wild Berry Skittles were introduced. Wild Berry is a mix of exotic berry flavoring, and the product is sold in purple bags or boxes.

The flavors are:

[edit] Tropical Skittles

In 1990,[1] Tropical Skittles were introduced. Tropical is a mix of exotic tropical flavoring, and the product is sold in either light blue bags or boxes. The flavors are:

There are now three new flavors of Tropical Skittles, apparently replacing the Strawberry Watermelon, Mango Peach, and Passion Punch flavors. They are:

The new packaging of Tropical Skittles mentions nothing of them being a limited edition.

[edit] Sour Skittles

In 2000, Sour Skittles were introduced. These types of Skittles are coated with very sour citric acid crystals.

The flavors are:

There used to be sour Green Apple but it was replaced by sour blue raspberry.

[edit] Smoothie Mix Skittles

In 2005, Smoothie Mix Skittles were introduced. The name comes from a smoothie, which is a fruit mix drink, and the product is sold in either orange bags or boxes.

The flavors are:

[edit] Ice Cream Skittles

In March 2006 Skittles released a 'Limited Edition' Ice Cream Skittles variety. This also went along with their "Chillin' for a Million" campaign. By late 2006 they were very difficult to find, making it seem as if 2007 would be the end date for these Skittles.

There were also flavors in the packages of regular Skittles. In the Original there was Strawberry, in the Wild Berry there was Cherry Vanilla Swirl (deep red), In the Sour there was Lemon Sorbet (yellow with white powder), and in the smoothie Mix there was Orange Vanilla Swirl.

[edit] Carnival Skittles

In October 2006 Limited Edition Carnival Skittles began circulating. It is unknown when the first production of this variety began. References to this variety have also been difficult to obtain.

This variety of Skittles contains very sweet and accurate flavors causing some to liken them to Jelly Belly flavors.

[edit] Xtreme Fruit Skittles

Xtreme Fruit Skittles will be introduced in 2007, and will have the same flavors as Xtreme Fruit Skittles Bubble Gum. Xtreme Fruit is a mix of exotic extreme fruit flavoring, and the product will be sold in black bags.

The flavors are:

[edit] Skittles Bubble Gum and other products

Skittles bubble gum
Skittles bubble gum

In 2004, Original Fruit Skittles bubble gum was introduced. Later that year, Skittles introduced a product made in partnership with Lip Smackers, Skittles-flavored lip gloss. Mint Skittles, which came in two mixes (Peppermint and Spearmint mixes) were also made. In 2005, Xtreme Fruit Skittles bubble gum was introduced.Skittles extreme flavor was also introduced.

[edit] Skittles in Popular Culture

The original release in 1981 featured a child doing the moonwalk, a dance made popular by Michael Jackson

Skittles was the sponsor of the #36 Pontiac in the NEXTEL Cup Series in NASCAR racing from 1997-1998. Drivers were Derrike Cope and Ernie Irvan.

On the popular U.S. basic cable television wrestling program WWE Monday Night Raw, announcer Jim Ross has been known for aggressively promoting Skittles during the sponsors portion of the show. [3]

Skittles were incorporated as a major part of the video game Darkened Skye. The game involved finding the rare Skittles in order to use them to form spells. The game was a way of promoting the confectionary.

The Christian rock band Relient K has a song called Skittles and Combos. It's a hidden track after the song "Less is More", on their 2001 album The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek.

Homer Simpson makes references to Skittles in Episode #5F03, "Bart Star" of The Simpsons Television Series as follows:

Homer: I'm feeling kinda low, Apu. Got any of that beer that has candy floating in it? You know...Skittlebrau?
Apu: Such a product does not exist, sir. I think you must have dreamed it.
Homer: Oh. Then just give me a six pack and a couple of packets of Skittles.

In the hit TV show Seinfeld, the character of Kramer returns from the dentist with the message "lay off the Skittles."

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c http://web.archive.org/web/20030411211658/skittles.com/product_info/
  2. ^ http://www.masterfoodsnews.com/products_detail.asp?prodId=157
  3. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8rYJODwHPQ

[edit] External links


Confectionery products of Mars, Incorporated
3 Musketeers • Balisto • Bounty • Celebrations • Dove/Galaxy bar • Flyte • Kudos • Lockets • Maltesers • Mars Bar • M-Azing • M&M's • Milky Way • Revels • Snickers • Skittles • Starburst • Topic • Tracker • Twix
Discontinued: Marathon • Opal Mints • Spangles
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