Skittles are small round fruit chews that come in hard sugar shells with the letter "s" printed on them, representing the sweet's name. 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. The inside is a white granulate and consists mainly of sugar and a small amount of fruit juice, citric acid and natural and artificial flavors. Skittles Bite Size sweets, originally made by a company in England, were first introduced in the United States in 1974.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 not vegetarian in the USA as they contain gelatin, as opposed to the British recipe which does not. However, they are still not suitable for vegans as they contain shellac. In the mid 2000s, Skittles in the USA began using palm kernel oil in the recipe, increasing shelf life as well as fat content.
Advertising
Skittles has established itself as a popular modern product with campaigns often associated with rainbows due to their colour. 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.
Varieties
Original Fruit Skittles (Red Package)
The flavors are:
- Grape (purple)
- Lemon (yellow)
- Strawberry (red)
- Lime (green)
- Orange (orange)
In the South Korean, Taiwanese, and Australian versions of Original Fruit Skittles, Apple (green) replaces Lime, and outside the United States and Canada Purple is flavoured black currant.
Wild Berry Skittles (Purple Package)
In 1990,[1] Wild Berry Skittles were introduced. Wild Berry is a mix of exotic berry flavoring, and the product is sold in either purple bags or boxes. The flavours are:
- Raspberry (blue)
- Wild Cherry (red)
- Strawberry (magenta)
- Berry Punch (purple)
- Melon Berry (green)
Tropical Skittles (Light Blue Package)
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 flavours are:
- Banana Berry (yellow)
- Kiwi Lime (green)
- Strawberry Watermelon (pink)
- Mango Peach (orange)
- Passion Punch (blue)
There are now three new flavours of Tropical Skittles, apparently replacing the Strawberry Watermelon, Mango Peach, and Passion Punch flavours. They are:
- Pineapple Passionfruit (blue)
- Strawberry Starfruit (pink)
- Mango Tangelo (orange)
The new packaging of Tropical Skittles mentions nothing of them being a limited edition.
Sour Skittles (Green Package)
In 2000, Sour Skittles were introduced. These types of Skittles are coated with very sour citric acid crystals, and the product is sold in either bright green bags or boxes. The flavours are:
- Sour Blue Raspberry (blue)
- Sour Lemon (yellow)
- Sour Strawberry (red)
- Sour Orange (orange)
- Sour Grape (purple)
- Sour Lime (green)
There used to be a sour Green Apple flavour, but it has been replaced by sour Blue Raspberry. As part of the Shrek The Third promotion, a pink Wizard Watermelon, replacing Grape, and a green Apple-y Ever After skittle was added to the variety of Sour Skittles.
Smoothie Mix Skittles (Orange Package)
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 flavours are:
- Peach Pear (light green)
- Mixed Berry (pastel purple)
- Lemon Berry (light yellow)
- Strawberry Banana (light peach)
- Orange Mango (faded orange)
Ice Cream Skittles (Cream/Off-White Package)
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. They have been discontinued. The flavors are:
- Caramel Ripple (light brown)
- Chocolate (dark brown)
- Vanilla (beige)
- Orange Vanilla Swirl (orange)
- Strawberry (pink)
Carnival Skittles (Yellow Package)
In October 2006 Limited Edition Carnival Skittles (also known as Unlimited Skittles) began circulating. It is unknown when the first production of this variety began. References to this variety have also been difficult to obtain. In 2007, flavours of Carnival Skittles were made available in regular packs of Skittles (Green Slushy in Original Fruit packs, Candy Apple in Wild Berry packs, Cotton Candy in Smoothie Mix packs, and Bubble Gum in Tropical packs) to help coincide with the Text Thru Time promotion.
- Cotton Candy (baby blue)
- Bubble Gum (pink)
- Candy Apple (light yellow)
- Red Licorice (red)
- Green Slushy (green)
In 2007 these Skittles were re-released as 'Skittles Unlimited' for a limited time in Canada and are sold in black packages. This variety of Skittles contains very sweet and accurate flavors causing some to liken them to Jelly Belly flavors. In June 2007 Carnival Skittles became available in Australia, known as Showtime flavours. The flavours are
- Popcorn (light yellow)
- Jam Donut (brown red)
- Toffee Apple (green)
- Fairy Floss (pink)
- Bubblegum (baby blue)
Double Sour Skittles (Green Package)
In 2007, Double Sour were introduced. These types of Skittles are, as the name suggests, coated with a double portion of very sour citric acid crystals. Like Sour Skittles, the product is sold in either bright green bags or boxes. The flavours are:
- Sour Blue Raspberry (blue)
- Sour Lemon (yellow)
- Sour Strawberry (red)
- Sour Watermelon (pink)
- Sour Green Apple (green)
It is not clear whether Double Sour Skittles will be available only on a limited time basis.
Xtreme Fruit Skittles (Black Package)
Xtreme Fruit Skittles were introduced in 2007, and will have the same flavours as Xtreme Fruit Skittles Bubble Gum. Xtreme Fruit is a mix of exotic extreme fruit flavouring, and the product will be sold in either black bags or boxes. The flavours are:
- Wild Cherry (red)
- Tangerine (orange)
- Watermelon (pink)
- Blue Raspberry (blue)
- Green Apple (green)
Mint Skittles (Blue Package)
Mint Skittles were made in 2000. They came in spearmint and wintergreen. Unlike ordinary Skittles, they came in plastic containers instead of bags. They are hard to find, as they have been discontinued.
Skittles Mints (Green Package)
Skittles Mints (different from Mint Skittles) are a variety of mint flavoured Skittles sold for a time in Europe. They were sold not in the usual bag nor in the plastic containers, but in a 55g box, deep turquoise in colour. Skittles Mints were released in 2001. The flavours were:
- Coolmint (blue)
- Peppermint (white)
- toffeemint (green-brown)
- Spearmint (dark green)
- Sweetmint (Pale green)
Chocolate (Brown Package)
Chocolate Skittles were released in 1998. They have now discontinued as of 2001. They were sold in 55g bags just like M&M's. The flavours were:
- Milk Chocolate (brown)
- Wild Chocolate (blue)
- Hot Chocolate (white, later red)
- Nutty Chocolate (tan)
- Mocha Chocolate (green)
Chocolate Mix Skittles (Brown Package)
Skittles "Chocolate Mix" was announced at the All Candy Expo 2007. The product is sold in either brown bags or boxes. The Flavours Are
Liquorice Skittles (Black Package)
Liquorice Skittles were made in 1982. They are hard to find because they have been discontinued. They were sold in Europe in 55g boxes rather than the usual bag. The flavours were:
- Black Liquorice (black)
- Liquorice Aniseed (green)
- Liquorice Spice (red)
- Liquorice Vanilla (orange)
- Liquorice Mint (white)
Fresh Mint Skittles (Dark Green Package)
Fresh Mint Skittles was the very first type of different Skittles made. They released in 1977 and ended them in 2005.
Skittles Bubble Gum (Black Package)and other products
In 2004, Original Fruit Skittles bubble gum was introduced. Later that year, Skittles introduced a product made in partnership with Lip Smackers, Skittles-flavoured 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 in the News
Advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day won Gold Clio Awards in 2007 for their Skittles candy advertisements "Beard", "Trade" and "Leak".[3] In May, 2007, a man was charged for stealing a tractor-trailer containing $250,000 worth of Skittles. [4]
References
External links
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