45 Skittles Facts: Enjoy These Multicolored Fruit-Flavored Candies

Have you ever looked at a rainbow and wondered what it would taste like?

Well, chances are, you already know! Thanks to Skittles and their famous tagline- 'Taste the Rainbow!', people all over the world know that rainbows taste like fruit and sugar.

However, did you know that Skittles are not originally American?

Skittles were originally only sold in the United Kingdom and were created by the Wrigley company, which has now partnered with Mars chocolates to become one of America's biggest candy manufacturers. So how did Skittles cross the ocean to reach us, and how did they become the beloved colorful candy brand that we all know and love today?

Read on to learn some interesting Skittles facts that will blow your mind and have you reaching for these delicious chewy treats.

History of Skittles

Skittles were first created by the Wrigley company (known for their delicious bubble gum) and were originally only available to purchase in the United Kingdom. They were named after the game skittles, which is a British slang term for bowling pins (it originally comes from the Scandinavian word sceoton, which means 'to shoot').

In fact, bowling itself evolved from an old English pub game that involved shooting balls at pins.

Either way, the word 'skittles' was associated with having a good time, so when the candy rolled out on shelves in 1974, people instantly associated it with good times. With its delicious flavors and eye-catching colors, Skittles managed to capture the heart of the UK.

Skittles made their first appearance in America in 1979 when Wrigley began to import them in as a 'special item' to gauge how they appealed to the American taste.

To no one surprise, Skittles were a big hit in the States, and Wrigley soon set up their own manufacturing unit in the country to cater to the demands of the candy-loving public. Skittles were originally manufactured in Waco, Texas, until 2016, when a new production facility was opened in Yorkville, Illinois.

So, next time you buy a bag of Skittles at your local grocery store, think about the long journey it had to make across the ocean to reach your hands!

Flavors And Colors of Skittles

Can you name all of Skittle's original flavors?

Skittle's iconic red packet is known for its five colorful and delicious flavors- orange (orange), grape (purple), strawberry (red), lemon (yellow), and lime (green). These are more or less the same flavors that Skittles were sold in at their conception, and their popularity has contributed greatly to this unchanged formula.

However, Wrigley has been known to experiment with different flavors, and with so many colors in the rainbow, who wouldn't want to? Over the years, Skittles has come out with wild berry Skittles, sour Skittles (covered with lip-puckering powder!

), Skittles Blenders (which imitated popular frozen drinks- yum! ), and Skittles Shriekers (a special Halloween edition which featured 'trick' sour candies that looked exactly like the rest).

Skittles also released a version with special 'white' coloring and packaging for Pride Month- which still featured its five beloved flavors but without their iconic coloring, to take attention away from 'the only rainbow that mattered' during the special month.

Will Skittles ever stop with their crazy candy experiments? As long as the rainbow has seven colors, it's doubtful.

However, that just means more delicious flavors and combinations for us to try! And if all else fails, there's always the original red packet of skittles to turn to- there's a reason the world has been coming back for more for over five decades.

Some fun Skittles combinations include

Tropical Skittles, which come in yellow (banana berry), green (kiwi lime), orange (mango tangelo), blue (passion fruit pineapple), and pink (strawberry starfruit). These were to first Skittles to incorporate two flavors in one Skittle- causing a party of flavors in the mouth.

Wild Berry Skittles, which come in light blue (blueberry), pink (raspberry), purple (cherry), green (apple or blackberry), and red (strawberry or kiwi).

Crazy Sours, which are sold in Europe, come in green (Sour Apple), purple (Sour Cherry Berry), orange (Sour Mandarin), yellow (Sour Pineapple), and pink (Sour Raspberry).

Skittles America Mix, a new flavor mix sold every July starting in 2017, was created to cater to those celebrating the patriotic holiday. They contain light blue (Wild Berry), dark blue (Blackberry), red (Strawberry), dark red (Raspberry), and white (Yumberry)- all the colors of the American flag.

Skittles also came out with a Skittles Smoothies mix in the United States, which contains five delicious flavors- red (Raspberry Smoothie), purple (Blueberry Smoothie), orange (Mango Smoothie), yellow (Peach Guava Smoothie), and pink (Strawberry Banana Smoothie).

Skittles Claudron, a Halloween special edition, contains light green (Petried Pear), purple (Gripping Grapes), orange (Twisted Tangerine), blue (Bogey Berry), and yellow (Lurking Lemon) flavors. Each flavor is given a spooky name to go along with the scary atmosphere of Halloween.

Skittles are also sold in Chewies (without the shell), Giants (Skittles that are three times the size of normal Skittles), and Shriekers (super sour) varieties.

Nutrition Facts

A single serving of Skittles, which is 2.17 Oz (62 gm) of the candies, amounts to:

• 251 Calories
• Total Fat 0.09 Oz (2.7 gm)
• Saturated Fat 0.09 Oz (2.6 gm)
• Trans Fat 0.003 Oz (0.1 gm)
• Sodium 0.0003 Oz (9.3 mg)
• Potassium0.0002 Oz (7.4 mg)
• Total Carbohydrates 1.97 Oz (56 gm)
• Sugars 1.65 Oz (47 gm)
• Protein 0.003 Oz (0.1 gm)
• They also contain Vitamin C due to the citric acid present in them.
• Though this popular candy is extremely tasty, it should be consumed as part of a balanced diet and with caution to avoid overconsumption of sugars, corn syrup, and palm oil, which can cause obesity in large quantities.

FAQs

How many Skittles are produced each day?
The numbers say that over 200 million Skittles are produced and packaged every day- which adds up to over 70 billion chewy candies in one year! That's how many you would get if you gave ten pieces to each and every person in the world.

What was the first skittle color?The original colors for Skittles were red (strawberry), orange (orange), green (lime), yellow (lemon), and purple (blackcurrant)-which were first sold in Europe and Australia.

The purple-colored Skittles were changed from blackcurrant to Grape upon the debut of Skittles in the United States.

This is due to the fact that growing, farming, and selling Blackcurrants has been illegal in America since the 1900s. Blackcurrant plants can host the white pine blister rust, which is a great threat to America's white pine population.

Though American farmers are now allowed to farm these fruits in controlled environments for commercial purposes, they are still not as mainstream as they are in Europe, which is why Wrigley made the decision to change the flavor entirely.

Are Skittles addictive?Skittles, like any other sugary treat, contain artificial flavors that can be addictive and cause harm to the body if eaten in large quantities. They are made using sugar, corn syrup, and palm oil, which can cause obesity and heart disease if consumed in unhealthy amounts.

It's best to eat Skittles as an occasional treat or as part of a healthy diet to stay in good health.

What is the least popular skittle flavor?
Though yellow (lemon) is the color that you are bound to find most in a bag of Skittles, most Americans have actually cited it as their least favorite flavor. Petition for Skittles to add more red candies instead!

What is the best flavor of Skittle?
According to studies, most people said that their favorite flavor of Skittles is red (strawberry)!

Are Skittles toxic?Unfortunately, Skittles are colored using titanium dioxide, which is present in many other candies and sweets as well. Titanium dioxide helps 'whiten' the candy, after which it can be dyed in different colors.

Titanium dioxide is a known toxin and can cause cancer and damage to one's DNA if ingested in large amounts.

However, further research is still needed to determine if the amount of titanium dioxide in Skittles is harmful to humans. So, be careful with your Skittle consumption- it's better to be on the safe side and limit consuming these candies until they are cleared.