AirHeads

AirHeads are a tangy, taffy-like, chewy candy manufactured by Dutch-Italian company Perfetti Van Melle in Erlanger, Kentucky.[1] They were created August 7, 1985 by Steve Bruner.[2] AirHeads are available nationwide in the United States. The candy is available in over 16 different flavors.

This article is about the candy. For the film, see Airheads.

AirHeads
Product typeTaffy
OwnerPerfetti Van Melle
CountryUnited States
Introduced1985 (1985)
MarketsNorth America, United Kingdom
Previous ownersVan Melle
Tagline"Out of Control"
Websitewww.airheads.com
AirHeads Xtreme Sweet Sour Belts Candy

Company

Perfetti Van Melle started living in Erlanger, Kentucky in 1979 and started manufacturing candy-based products three years later. It is a 120,000-square-foot plant that currently has 200 people working in it.[3]

In December 2015, an explosion occurred at the factory, causing it to catch fire. Nobody was harmed in the explosion, but it prevented production for a period of time.[4]

Flavors

The candy comes individually wrapped in long colored strips, in a variety of flavors including:

  • Cherry (red)
  • Blue Raspberry (blue)
  • Watermelon (green)
  • Green Apple (light green)
  • Strawberry (dark pink)
  • White Mystery (white)
  • Orange (orange)
  • Grape (purple)
  • Strawberry-Watermelon (green and dark pink striped)
  • Mango-Chile (orange with red dots)
  • Blue Raspberry-Cherry (blue and red striped)
  • Double Mystery (2 random colors striped)
  • Maple (brown, Canada only)
  • Chocolate (dark brown)
  • Strawberry Kiwi (light green)
  • Birthday Cake (white with colored sprinkles)
  • Special Edition White Mystery (white)
  • Special Edition Burnt Rubber (dark black)
  • Cotton Candy (light blue)
  • Cotton Candy Bubble Gum (light pink)
  • Lemon (yellow)
  • Fruit Punch (red)
  • Citrus Twist (yellow)

It is also available in mini-size. Special edition flavors, such as Superman, SpongeBob and Spider-Man, are sold as promotions. "AirHeads Xtremes" are fruit rolls with a sour taste. AirHeads Pops are lollipops available in apple, blue raspberry, strawberry, cherry, watermelon, grape, strawberry kiwi and berry. In 2007, a new BerryHot flavor was introduced that claims to "heat up in your mouth." In 2008, "Chillin" flavors were released that have a minty "cold" feeling.

AirHeads Blue Mystery Blast bars were distributed to all travelers on JetBlue Airways on October 31, 2007, in honor of Halloween.[5]

Perfetti Van Melle partnered with Koldwave Foods LLC to create AirHeads ice cream in August 2015. It comes in 8 different flavors: blue raspberry, cherry, watermelon, orange, green apple, pink lemonade, grape, and strawberry. Other frozen treats like ice cream sandwiches and sundae cups are included as well.[6]

In November 2019, AirHeads Paradise Blends will be released, which will contain a set of four tropical flavors: Cherry Pineapple Blast (red), Raspberry Lemonade (pink), Citrus Rush (green), and Blue Hawaiian (blue), along with White Mystery bars.[7]

Nutritional facts

A normal 3.3 oz (94 g) pack of AirHeads is 360 calories, 51 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of saturated fat. AirHeads Xtremes Sweetly Sour Belts (3 oz, 85 g) is 300 calories, 45 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of saturated fat.[8]

A single 0.55 oz (15.6g) AirHeads is 60 calories, 11 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of saturated fat.

Production

Airheads are made by creating long strips, similar to the method used to manufacture Play-Doh. The main ingredient is sugar.[9]

AirHeads prides itself for being one of the few candy that uses taffy, allowing it to be shaped in various ways. Other taffy-like candy include Bit-O-Honey, Abba-Zaba, and Laffy Taffy.[10]

It is run on a conveyor belt style, where the taffy goes through sugars and sweeteners leading up to the thinning, forming, and eventual packaging process. The machines stir about 3,000 pounds of taffy.[11]

Distribution

Airheads were originally sold across Canada and the United States but an expansion into the United Kingdom was announced in 2015.[12] Airheads Xtremes and Bars are manufactured in the US and Airheads Pops in Mexico and Spain.[9]

Advertising

It was reported that Perfetti Van Melle spent $2.5 million for media exposure in 1999.

In 2000, Perfetti Van Melle started a partnership with Mattel to reach out the children all over the USA. The advertisements ran on children's programming networks like Fox Kids and Nickelodeon to continue AirHeads's already existing "Out of Control" campaign. The advertisements offered sweepstakes to Disneyland, as well as coupons on the back of AirHead packets for Mattel's X-V Xtreme Skateboarders.[13]

In 2003, commercials started airing on Nickelodeon. Airheads.nick.com held a poll, advertising the green flavor, a trademark to the network.[14]

gollark: Huh, didn't work.
gollark: It would actually be addeventlistener and you would need a preventdefault.
gollark: I mean, browsers don't prevent that yet...
gollark: Although I can't detect ragequitting; or, well, I can but then you'll ragequit and not see it.
gollark: Okay, you know what, I will consider your ideas for v2.

References
  1. "Candyxpress.com". www77.candyxpress.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  2. Perfetti Van Melle FAQ
  3. Tenkotte, Paul A.; Claypool, James C. (13 January 2015). The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-5996-6.
  4. "Explosion, fire at Erlanger candy factory". WLWT. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. "Happy News - No Trick! JetBlue Treated Customers to Halloween Candy". www.happynews.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  6. Melle, Perfetti Van. "Perfetti Van Melle Brings Airheads Branded Ice Cream and Cream-Based Frozen Novelties to the Freezer Aisle". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  7. "JunkFoodOnTheGo on Instagram: "NEW Airheads Paradise Blends Bites & Mini Bars coming out November! @airheadscandy @sweets_and_snacks_expo @perfettivanmelle ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀…"". Instagram. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  8. "BIG: Movie Theaters Fill Buckets...and Bellies | Center for Science in the Public Interest". cspinet.org. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  9. "Frequently Asked Questions". AirHeads. Archived from the original on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  10. Smith, Andrew F. (2012). Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-39393-8.
  11. "Inside the Airheads Candy Factory". 1 December 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  12. Loveday, Samantha (18 May 2015). "Tallia Storm to be face of new Chupa Chups Airheads launch". Licensing.biz. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  13. "Cut to the Chase". adage.com. 13 December 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  14. Mazzarella, Sharon R. (2007). 20 Questions about Youth & the Media. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-6334-6.
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