Smarties (tablet candy)
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 Nestlé's Smarties.[2][6] The New Jersey factory produces approximately 1 billion rolls of Smarties annually,[7] and in total the company produces over 2.5 billion in a year.[6][8][9]
Product type | Confectionery |
---|---|
Owner | Smarties Candy Company |
Country | United States |
Introduced | 1949 |
Markets | Worldwide |
Website | www |
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.[10] Each color's flavor is different. They are usually packaged as a roll of 15 candies.[2][8] Smarties candies are peanut-free, gluten-free, fat-free and dairy-free.[1][8] All Smarties candies are free of animal products and are thus suitable for vegans.[11]
History
After World War II, the Dee family bought pellet machines and repurposed them to make candy.[1][6][12] 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] In the 1990s, the Dee family purchased the website smarties.com.[8]
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.[13] A 3.5-ounce Theater box was released in 2009, with a retro look on the boxes.[14] In 2011, Ce De Candy Company, Inc. changed its name to Smarties Candy Company.[2] In August 2011, the company confirmed that Smarties were vegan.[15]
Production
The Smarties Candy Company operates two factories that produce smarties 24 hours a day for five days a week, amounting to over 70,000 pounds per day. After mixing the dry ingredients they are pressed into tablets and then stacked and rolled into a Smarties wrapper for packaging.[16]
Ingredients
The ingredients in Smarties candies are dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavors, and colors.[17] There are 25 calories and 6.9 grams of sugar in a roll of Smarties.[8][10]
Flavors
Each package contains an assortment of pastel colors, including white, yellow, pink, green, purple, and orange.[10] The flavors are orange cream, pineapple, cherry, strawberry, grape, and orange, respectively.[10][18][19] Smarties Candy Company also produces "X-treme sour" and "tropical" varieties of Smarties[18][20] as well as lollipops in three sizes. In October 2015, the company launched Smarties 'n Creme, which are quarter-sized candy tablets with smartie flavor on one side and cream flavor on the other.[1][8]
See also
References
- Marissa Rothkopf Bates (October 29, 2015). "Smarties, a Halloween Favorite, Maintains a Sweet Family Business". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- Greg Hatala (2014-02-11). "Made in Jersey: Smarties keep rolling out of Union factory". NJ.com. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Amy Pataki (27 October 2012). "Candy through the ages". The Toronto Star.
- Ryan White (11 October 2011). "Candy Bowl I, the second round: It's time to pick your favorite Halloween candy, again". The Oregonian.
- Nick Montano (2011-05-20). "Smarties Ship In Special Packaging And Formulation For Bulk Vending". Vending Times. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- "Rockets candy a Halloween treat with a Toronto history". CBC News. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- Christie Duffy (2015-10-30). "See how Smarties candy company carries on its sweet legacy — and takes Halloween off after 9-month prep". Pix 11. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- Heather Long (2015-10-05). "Remember Smarties? The retro candy is thriving". CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- "Inside the Rockets factory where these quintessential Halloween candies are made". The Globe and Mail. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- Diane Nassy (2012-08-08). "Taking a Tour of the Smarties Candy Factory". philzendia. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Maria Mooney (2014-03-11). "Smarties Executive, Liz Dee, Talks Compassionate Candy". Ecorazzi. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Christof, Alexis (October 2, 2019). "Smarties — a 'recession-proof' candy — turns 70 years old with a brand-new look" – via Yahoo.com.
- "Midway Displays Introduces". Candy Industry. 2004-10-01. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- "Smarties Now In Theater Boxes". National Confectioners Association. 2009-12-14. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Ari Solomon (2014-03-10). "Compassionate Candy". Mercy for Animals. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Scholastic (6 October 2016). "Inside a Smarties Factory" – via YouTube.
- "Smarties Candy Rolls 5 lb bag Assorted flavors". Spangler Flavor. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- Beth Kimmerle (2003). Candy: The Sweet History. Collectors Press. p. 89. ISBN 1888054832.
- Kristen Ryan (Fall 2014). "Get Smarties!". Matters Magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- Turcsik, Richard (1 February 2005). "Targeting the sweet tooth: creative use of the category's impulse nature can help speed up supermarkets' slowing candy sales. So can getting new products in front of consumers quickly". 71 (2). pp. 1094–1088.