Skittles is a brand of chewy fruit flavored candies produced and marketed by Mars, Inc. They have hard sugar shells which carry the letter S. The inside is mainly sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil along with fruit juice, citric acid and natural and artificial flavors.
Skittles were first made in 1974 by an English company.[1] They were first introduced in North America in 1979 as an import candy.[2] In 1982, domestic production of Skittles began in the United States.[1][3] Skittles sold in the European Union markets are made in the Czech Republic. Skittles made in Victoria, Australia are distributed in the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The main Skittles advertising theme is "Taste the rainbow", which has been reworked for different campaigns.[4] On March 2, 2009, Skittles launched a web-based marketing campaign where their official website became a small overlay with options to view different social media sites in the main area, including its official YouTube page, a Facebook site, the Twitter feed for the word "skittles" and the Skittles article on Wikipedia.[5] The move was debated by people interested in social media.[6][7]
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Skittles varieties
Skittles are produced in a wide variety of flavors and colors. Some varieties are released for a limited time, sold only in some markets worldwide or packaged differently everywhere.
Dietary restrictions
Skittles used to be unsuitable for vegans because they contain shellac and gelatin, which are both derived from animals. Recently, however, Mars appears to have begun removing gelatin from some of their products, including Skittles.[8] However, the products may still contain shellac, and the gelatin removal may not apply in all countries.
Additionally, Skittles contains apple juice derivatives which might pose an allergen issue for sensitive people.
References
- ^ a b SKITTLES Bite Size Candies Backgrounder, company press release, August 23, 2005
- ^ Mars - Skittles, company website, accessed in May 2009
- ^ Skittles Product Info, company website, 2002
- ^ "Skittles overhauls a familiar theme to encourage experiencing the candy, not just tasting it", New York Times, July 9, 2004
- ^ "Skittles Cozies Up to Social Media", Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2009
- ^ "When Skittles Met Twitter", BusinessWeek, March 8, 2009
- ^ "Skittles' Stupid Social Media Trick", Forbes, March 12, 2009
- ^ Mars Healthy Living
External links
- Official U.S. website
- UK Site at Wrigley
- Former official US Web site as of 14 February 2008 (courtesy of the Internet Archive)
- Skittles nutritional information and ingredients
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