Smarties (tablet candy)

Last updated
Smarties
Smarties wrapped.jpg
Giant-Smarties-US.jpg
Product typeConfectionery
Owner Smarties Candy Company
Country United States
Introduced1949;75 years ago (1949)
MarketsWorldwide
Website www.smarties.com

In the United States, Smarties are a type of tablet candy produced by Smarties Candy Company, formerly known as Ce De Candy Inc., since 1949. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Smarties are produced in factories in both Union Township, New Jersey, and Newmarket, Ontario. [2] The candies distributed in Canada are marketed as Rockets, to avoid confusion with Smarties, [2] [6] a chocolate candy produced by Nestlé which owns the trademark in Canada. [7] The New Jersey factory produces approximately 1 billion rolls of Smarties annually, [8] and in total the company produces over 2.5 billion in a year. [6] [9] [10]

Contents

One individual candy is a biconcave disc in shape, with a diameter of roughly 1 cm (0.39 in) and a height of roughly 4 mm (0.16 in). Larger ones have a diameter of 2.5 cm (0.98 in) and are about 6 mm (0.24 in) thick. Smarties come in combinations of colors within their wrapped rolls; these include white and pastel shades of yellow, pink, orange, purple, and green. [11] Each color's flavor is different. They are usually packaged as a roll of 15 candies. [2] [9] Smarties candies are peanut-free, gluten-free, fat-free, and dairy-free. [1] [9] All Smarties candies are free of animal products and therefore vegan. [12] [13]

History

After World War II, the Dee family bought pellet machines and repurposed them to make candy. [1] [6] [14] This gave the candy its resemblance to tablet-style pills in shape and texture. [6] When sugar prices spiked in the 1970s, Ce De Candy switched from sucrose to dextrose. [6]

Edward Dee founded Ce De Candy in Bloomfield, New Jersey, in 1949. In 2011, the company was renamed Smarties Candy Company, after its most famous product. [15] [16]

In 2004, Ce De Candy Co., Inc., in conjunction with Rock The Vote, manufactured 500,000 special edition Smarties with "Rock the Vote" on the wrapper. [17] A 3.5-ounce Theater box was released in 2009, with a retro look on the boxes. [18] In 2011, Ce De Candy Company, Inc. changed its name to Smarties Candy Company. [2] In August 2011, the company confirmed that Smarties are vegan. [19]

Starting on Oct 2, 2022, Smarties launched National Smarties Day, hosting a year supply giveaway of candy and launching a TikTok challenge to celebrate Edward Dee’s birthday. [20]

Snorting controversy

In January 2011, a middle school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island reported that its students had started to crush the Smarties into a fine powder and inhale them, mimicking a form of drug consumption, following a YouTube trend. Health effects of this trend could be scarring of the nasal cavity, irritation, and a possible risk of allergic reaction. A similar trend also observed at the same time at the Portsmouth school was "smoking" the Smarties, taking in the dust orally and blowing it out, resembling cigarette smoke. [21]

Production

The Smarties Candy Company operates two factories, one in Union, New Jersey, and one in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. The factories produce Smarties 24 hours a day, five days a week, amounting to over 70,000 pounds (around 32,000 kilograms) per day. After mixing the dry ingredients they are pressed into tablets and then stacked and rolled into a Smarties wrapper for packaging. [22] Smarties Candy Company produces over 2 billion Smarties rolls every year. [23]

Ingredients

Smarties Rolls Smarties Rolls.JPG
Smarties Rolls

The ingredients in Smarties candies are dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavors, and colors. [24] There are 25 calories and 6.9 grams of sugar in a roll of Smarties. [9] [11]

Flavors

Each package contains an assortment of pastel colors [11] [25] in the following flavors: [26] [27]

Smarties Candy Company also produces "X-treme Sour" and "Tropical" varieties of Smarties [25] [28] [ full citation needed ] as well as "Lollies and Giant Lollies". In October 2015, the company launched Smarties 'n Creme, which are quarter-sized candy tablets with Smarties flavor on one side and creme flavor on the other. [1] [9]

See also

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References

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Further reading