Facts About Pop Rocks
Pop Rocks come in packets and are known for their popping sensation!
What are Pop Rocks?
Pop Rocks are a carbonated candy that creates a fizzy sensation in your mouth and creates a popping noise.
Fun Facts
Aside from the soda and Pop Rocks myth, there was another myth. It was said that Little Mikey, from LIFE cereal commercials, died from eating Pop Rocks.
History of Pop Rocks
The concept of Pop Rocks was patented by researcher William A. Mitchell of General Foods in 1956. It was first offered to the public in 1975 for 15 cents a package. It was taken off the shelves in 1983 due to a short shelf life and little success, contrary to the suspicions of the recall being due to the urban legends of Pop Rocks.
The urban legend states that if you mix carbonated soda with Pop Rocks, it will make your stomach explode. It had such an effect on the world, the company had to send 50,000 letters to school principals reassuring them that this is in fact a myth. They also took out full page ads in 45 major publications. The Food and Drug Administration even set up a hotline in Seattle to reassure concerned parents.
In 1985, Kraft bought the rights to Pop Rocks and re-marketed it as action candy. Later that year, Kraft sold machinery and rights for Asian countries to Jeong Woo Confectionary based out of Korea. Jeong Woo then changed Pop Rocks. Before Jeong Woo, it was sold in powder form. After, it was sold by Jeong Woo in crystallized form with a boiled sugar lollipop, which was imported to the United States in 1988 under the name "Crazy Dip".
Today, it is manufactured by Pop Rocks Inc in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pop Rock Myths
Because of the claim that Pop Rocks contained an acid/base mixture, which wasn't true, it was rumored that eating Pop Rocks and drink cola would cause a person's stomach to explode. It was even said that John Gilchrist, a character named Mikey from the Life cereal commercials, died after eating a Pop Rock and Coca-Cola mixture.
Despite the persistent rumors, extensive testing deemed the rumors untrue and Pop Rocks and cola. Although the rumors were proven false, the scare of the rumors cause the Food and Drug Administration to set up a hotline in Seattle as an assurance measure.
The myth of the Pop Rocks also made an appearance on MythBusters which claimed that an explosion was impossible, even with using a ton of Pop Rocks.
This is what Pop Rocks look like.
Ingredients in Pop Rocks
Pop Rocks are made from sugar, lactose (milk sugar), corn syrup, flavoring, and carbon dioxide.
The candy is made by mixing the ingredients and heating them until it melts to dust. Carbon dioxide is then added (about 600 pounds per square inch) and the result is Pop Rocks!
Nutrition Facts of Pop Rocks
| Serving Size - 10g | Per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
Calories | 34 | |
Calories from Fat | 0 | |
Total Fat | 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat | 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
Sodium | 0mg | 0% |
Carbohydrates | 9.5g | 3% |
Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
Sugars | 8g | |
Protein | 0g |
Pop Rocks come in a variety of flavors.
Flavors of Pop Rocks
The original Pop Rock flavors were orange, cherry, and grape. Today, Pop Rocks come in the flavors of strawberry, tropical punch, watermelon, xtreme sour apple, cherry, bubblegum, and cotton candy.
Comments
minecraftman on April 08, 2019:
love it and so does my family
victoria on March 01, 2012:
i love pop rocks and so do my whole family....I don't think pop rocks can kill someone unless you put them up your nose.....
