SweeTarts
Encyclopedia
SweeTarts are sweet and sour candies
invented by J. Fish Smith, the owner of Sunline. The tablets
were created using the same basic recipe as the already popular Pixy Stix
and Lik-M-Aid products, in response to parents' requests for a less-messy candy. In 1963, SweeTarts were introduced with the same flavors as the popular Pixy Stix
: cherry
, grape
, lemon
, lime
, and orange
.
The Sunline company was later bought by Rowntree Mackintosh, of the United Kingdom
, which was, in turn, taken over by Nestlé
. Nestlé rolled the SweeTarts family of candies into the already-existing Willy Wonka Candy Company
family of brands.
The current flavors in the SweeTarts roll are: blue raspberry (blue), cherry (pink), grape
(purple), orange (orange) and green apple (green). In 2001, Nestlé replaced the original lime with green apple. In 2009, Nestlé stopped making lemon
(yellow). Also, the flavors are more tart now than in the past.
Retired flavors include lime
(the former flavor for green) and lemon
(yellow).
The name's gemination
is appropriate to the wording "sweet tarts" even though the brand has only a single medial t.
trick-or-treat candy), "chicks and bunnies" shaped SweeTarts (marketed for Easter
in some regions of the US), and Giant Chewy SweeTarts, which are a larger, chewier variant of SweeTarts that come 4 to a package, 1 of each flavour, and are the size of a silver dollar and 1/4 inch thick. The Giant Chewy SweeTarts have also retained the lemon (yellow) flavor discontinued in the standard SweeTarts products.
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
invented by J. Fish Smith, the owner of Sunline. The tablets
Tableting
Tableting is a method of confectionery manufacture that shares many similarities with tablet pharmaceutical production.A powder or granule mixture is prepared, a die mold is filled, and then the mixture is compressed and ejected. While drug tablets are constrained to shapes that can be swallowed...
were created using the same basic recipe as the already popular Pixy Stix
Pixy Stix
Pixy Stix is a powdered candy packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw.Pixy Stix used to be made by Sunline which started 1952 in Springfield, Missouri. Originally it was a drink mix in the late 1940s, sold as Frutola, but J. Fish Smith found that kids were eating the sweet & sour...
and Lik-M-Aid products, in response to parents' requests for a less-messy candy. In 1963, SweeTarts were introduced with the same flavors as the popular Pixy Stix
Pixy Stix
Pixy Stix is a powdered candy packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw.Pixy Stix used to be made by Sunline which started 1952 in Springfield, Missouri. Originally it was a drink mix in the late 1940s, sold as Frutola, but J. Fish Smith found that kids were eating the sweet & sour...
: cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
, grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
, lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
, and orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
.
The Sunline company was later bought by Rowntree Mackintosh, of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which was, in turn, taken over by Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
. Nestlé rolled the SweeTarts family of candies into the already-existing Willy Wonka Candy Company
The Willy Wonka Candy Company
The Willy Wonka Candy Company is a brand of candy owned by the Nestle company using licensed materials from Roald Dahl's Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and its two film adaptations for their packaging and marketing. The brand started in 1971, coinciding with the release of the first film adaptation...
family of brands.
The current flavors in the SweeTarts roll are: blue raspberry (blue), cherry (pink), grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
(purple), orange (orange) and green apple (green). In 2001, Nestlé replaced the original lime with green apple. In 2009, Nestlé stopped making lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
(yellow). Also, the flavors are more tart now than in the past.
Retired flavors include lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
(the former flavor for green) and lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
(yellow).
The name's gemination
Gemination
In phonetics, gemination happens when a spoken consonant is pronounced for an audibly longer period of time than a short consonant. Gemination is distinct from stress and may appear independently of it....
is appropriate to the wording "sweet tarts" even though the brand has only a single medial t.
Related products
SweeTarts also come in a variety of other products including gum, little SweeTarts (often packaged to be handed out as HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
trick-or-treat candy), "chicks and bunnies" shaped SweeTarts (marketed for Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
in some regions of the US), and Giant Chewy SweeTarts, which are a larger, chewier variant of SweeTarts that come 4 to a package, 1 of each flavour, and are the size of a silver dollar and 1/4 inch thick. The Giant Chewy SweeTarts have also retained the lemon (yellow) flavor discontinued in the standard SweeTarts products.