Sour Patch Kids facts for kids
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| Owner | Mondelez International |
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| Introduced | 1970s (as Mars Men) 1985 (as Sour Patch Kids) |
Sour Patch Kids (known as Very Bad Kids in France, and known as Maynards Sour Patch Kids in Canada and previously in the UK) are a brand of soft candy with a coating of invert sugar and sour sugar (a combination of citric acid, tartaric acid, and sugar). The tartaric and citric acids provide the candy with a sharp burst of tartness, while the inverted sugar gives the soft gummy its sweet flavor. Sour Patch Kids Extreme, which contains malic acid in addition to the tartaric and citric acids, is considered the sourest variation in the Sour Patch line of candies. The slogans "Sour Then Sweet" and "Sour. Sweet. Gone." refer to the candy's sour-to-sweet taste.
History
Sour Patch Kids were created in the early 1970s by Frank Galatolie, originally under the name "Mars Men," while working as a confectioner at Jaret International. In the late 1970s, Cadbury and the Malaco Licorice Company formed the Allen Candy Company in Hamilton, Ontario to produce them. In 1985, they were re-branded to "Sour Patch Kids." The name was likely changed to capitalize on the popularity of Cabbage Patch Kids at the time. Mondelez International currently handles production of the candy, following their acquisition of the Allen Candy Company in the late 1990s.
Related products
Video game
World Gone Sour is a 2011 video game based on Sour Patch Kids. It was developed by Playbrains and published by Capcom. It was released on December 20, 2011, for PC, April 10, 2012, for PlayStation Network, and April 11, 2012, for Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). It was delisted from platforms around 2015.
Other food products
In 2014, Sour Patch Kids gum became available.
In 2018, Dreyer's produced Sour Patch Kids-flavored ice cream, and J&J Snack Foods launched Sour Patch Kids-flavored ice pops.
Post released Sour Patch Kids cereal in 2018. The cereal is shaped like Sour Patch Kids candy and dusted with sour sugar, which dissolves in milk.
On May 6, 2024, Sour Patch Kids Oreos released to store shelves, with colorful sour sugar inclusions in the cookie and creme.
