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Fruit Gushers

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Fruit Gushers
Fruit Gushers (2017)
Alternative namesGushers
TypeFruit snack
Created byBetty Crocker
Invented1991
Food energy
(per 28 g serving)
90 kcal (377 kJ)[1]

Fruit Gushers (also simply Gushers) are a Betty Crocker-branded fruit snack introduced in 1991. They are soft and chewy with a fruity-juice center.

History

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Fruit Gushers (sometimes simply "Gushers") were introduced in 1991[1] as a Betty Crocker fruit snack.[2] Each box of Fruit Gushers was list priced at US$2.19 (equivalent to $4.9 in 2023) and contained six pouches of Gushers, each of which had nine individual pieces for 90 calories (380 kJ) per pouch.[1]

Composition

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Strawberry-flavored Fruit Gushers are composed of pear concentrate, sugar, dried corn syrup, corn syrup, modified corn starch, fructose, and grape juice concentrate.[3] Targeted at children, they were acorn-shaped with a soft "licorice-like" exterior and a liquid inside, included "strawberries and pear puree concentrate", and came in two flavors: "Strawberry Splash" and "Gushin' Grape".[1]

In 2003, one serving of any Fruit Gushers variety was one 0.9-ounce (26 g) package with 90 calories, zero protein, one gram (0.035 oz) of fat, and 20 grams (0.71 oz) of carbohydrates.[4] In 2018, 90 calories worth of Strawberry Fruit Gushers weighed 28 grams (0.99 oz) and contained nine grams (0.32 oz) of sugar, one gram of fat, and cost $0.46 (equivalent to $0.56 in 2023).[3]

Varieties

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Betty Crocker released a new variety of Fruit Gushers in early 2020: "Galactic Fruit Gushers". These featured the flavors "Asteroid Apple", "Berry Star Cluster", and a mystery flavor labeled "Unidentified Flavored Object"; the latter was part of a contest where consumers could guess at the unknown flavor and win prizes "like sweatshirts, hats, blankets, pop sockets, and more". Galactic Fruit Gushers were sold through Walmart.com for $5.88 (equivalent to $6.92 in 2023).[5]

In June 2024, the brand announced that its most-popular flavor, watermelon (previously available from 1997–2013), was returning to store shelves to meet consumer demands; combined with sour-apple flavored Gushers, boxes of six sachets were to be sold for $6.49, while boxes of ten sachets would sell for $10.29.[6]

Reception

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A 1991 Sun-Sentinel review said that the insides oozed rather than gushed, and found the confectionery surprisingly pleasant.[1] In 2013, Complex magazine ranked Fruit Gushers the second-best fruit snack of all time, coming in behind another Betty Crocker product, Shark Bites.[2]

In September 2023, police in St. Marys, Kansas reported seizing fruit snacks and gummies, laced with tetrahydrocannabinol, being packaged as real commercial brands thereof—including Fruit Gushers.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Noding, Jodi (December 19, 1991). "Kids' Snack Gushes with Fruit Flavor". Sun-Sentinel. ISSN 0744-8139. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Castro, Vanessa (July 25, 2013). "The 25 Greatest Fruit Snacks of All Time". Complex. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Provenza, Fred (November 2018). "More Than One Kind of Memory". Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us About Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing. pp. 72–82. ISBN 9781603588027. LCCN 2018028053.
  4. ^ Natow, Annette B.; Heslin, Jo-Ann (February 2003) [1997]. "Brand Name, Nonbranded (Generic) & Take-Out Foods". The Protein Counter (2nd ed.). 1230 Avenue of the Americas: Pocket Books. p. 205. ISBN 0-7434-6434-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ Miller, Korin (January 14, 2020). "Gushers Has Limited-Edition Space Flavors Including A Delicious Mystery Gummy". Delish. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020. It's multiple choice!
  6. ^ Parker, Liz (June 14, 2024). "Gushers returns Watermelon flavor to shelves". Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery. ISSN 2329-1680. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024. The brand is rereleasing the flavor due to fan requests.
  7. ^ Motter, Sarah (September 19, 2023). "Parents warned to keep an eye on children's snacks as THC gummies seized". St. Marys, Kansas: WIBW-TV. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
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