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Discover the Colorful World of Smarties: Top 11 Fun Facts You Never Knew!

illustration of smarties
Get ready to embark on a colorful and delightful journey through the world of Smarties, as we serve up a sweet assortment of little-known and fascinating tidbits about these classic candy-coated treats!

1. Four-Flavor Origins

Before Smarties leaped over the candy rainbow and burst into our lives with a kaleidoscope of colors, their origin story was less Technicolor dream and more vintage noir: the original Smarties only came in four flavors – milk, plain, coffee, and orange!
Source => bbc.com

2. Rainbow Roots in 1882

Before Skittles could even whisper "taste the rainbow", a cheeky candy had already been putting a colorful spin on the choco-sphere: Smarties! Formerly known as "Chocolate Beans" and produced by Rowntree's of York since 1882, these delightful buttons were rebranded as "Smarties" in 1937 and boast eight captivating hues - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, mauve, pink, and brown. And just for the record, blue Smarties never got the sacking but actually took a vacay on a quest to be more au naturel. They ultimately triumphed, returning in 2008 with a seaworthy dye sourced from spirulina algae.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

3. Choco-Rations in WWII

Choc-a-block in the trenches: During World War II, soldiers were often issued chocolate as part of their rations, but sadly the famous D Ration and Tropical Bar produced by Hershey Chocolate Company turned out to be more taste bud drill sergeants than sweet, sugary comrades.
Source => legionmagazine.com

4. Bean Transformation

Before Skittles had us taste the rainbow, Smarties taught us how to truly embrace our bean-shaped sweet tooth: These delectable candy-coated chocolates first came into being as "Chocolate Beans" back in 1882 by Rowntree's in the UK, later adopting the name "Smarties Chocolate Beans" in 1937 and eventually dropping "Chocolate Beans" altogether. The candy's name itself wasn't trademarked, but the iconic packaging and logo were, solidifying their place in our sugar-loving hearts under the Nestlé umbrella.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Goodbye Blue Badness

5. Goodbye Blue Badness

Feeling blue no more: Nestle Rowntree kissed the blues farewell in June, as they sent the indigo Smartie into candy retirement, all for the noble pursuit of eliminating artificial colors from their sweet treats.
Source => confectionerynews.com

6. Blue Smartie's Spirulina Comeback

Before we had our "something blue" in weddings, Smarties had a "something blue" crisis of their own: In 2005, Nestle Rowntree removed the blue Smarties due to artificial colorings, but successfully reintroduced them in 2008, after replacing the artificial colorant Brilliant Blue with Spirulina, a protein-rich, blue-green lake algae.
Source => foodnavigator.com

7. Immelt-able Halloween Hero

Calling all confectionery cravers and sweet-toothed savants, gather 'round for a monumental revelation about a candy contender that has survived half a century of guilty pleasure binges and trick-or-treat campaigns: Smarties, those delectable wafer buttons in a delightful array of flavors like orange-cream, pineapple, cherry, strawberry, grape, and orange, have managed to grace Halloween candy bowls and satisfy sugar cravings for over 50 years without leaving behind a meltdown catastrophe, as they simply refuse to melt.
Source => smartiesstore.com

8. Once Upon a Beanstalk

Once upon a beanstalk in 1937, a chocolaty revelation nestled among the clouds, whispering sweet nothings to unsuspecting taste buds: Smarties, originally known as "Smarties Chocolate Beans," first popped into existence thanks to the confectionery wizards at H.I. Rowntree & Company in the UK.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Tasting Rainbows Worldwide

Feeling blue? Why not taste the rainbow with Smarties, the colorful candy that has satisfied sweet teeth since 1937: These little chocolate buttons come in a vibrant variety of eight shades, manufactured by Nestlé and delighting fans across Europe, Canada, South Africa, Australasia, and the Middle East, though surprisingly not in more than 50 other countries worldwide.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Smartie-Size Makeover

10. Smartie-Size Makeover

Ever feel like you're being "smartie" shamed? Well, Nestlé's got a solution for your confectionery conundrum: In Canada, they've redesigned Smarties packaging into three compartments with 15 candies each, totaling 70 calories. The smaller boxes, previously 50 grams to now 45 grams, encourage eating less and saving some for later. Bye-bye king-size boxes and hello to recyclable canisters that double as measuring cups - because who doesn't need a little portion control with their chocolate fix?
Source => cbc.ca

11. Nestlé's Eco-Mission

In a twist sweeter than a chocolate factory worker named Charlie inheriting the keys to the empire, Nestlé is on a mission to oust plastics from their Smarties kingdom: Their tubes went plastic-free in 2005 and they're testing eco-friendly substitutes, with plans to eradicate all non-recyclable packaging by 2025.
Source => theguardian.com

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