Love it or hate it October 30 is National Candy Corn Day!! Here are 10 fun facts about the Halloween staple.
1: Candy corn was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia.
2: The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now called Jelly Belly Candy, started making candy corn at the turn of the century, the longest run by an existing manufacturer.
3: When Goelitz first produced candy corn, it was called “Chicken Feed.” The boxes were illustrated with a rooster logo and copy that read: “Something worth crowing for.”
4: In 1950, the price of candy corn was about 25 cents per pound. Today Jelly Belly sells it for $8.99 a pound.
5: About 9 billion kernels of candy corn – more than 35 million pounds – are sold annually, according to the National Confectioners Association.
6: In one eight-hour shift, Jelly Belly makes 28,000 pounds of candy corn.
7: One kernel of candy corn is about 5 calories. A one-ounce serving has 110 calories.
8: Jelly Belly also makes Cupid Corn for Valentine’s Day (pink, red, and white), Reindeer Corn for Christmas (green, white, and red) and Bunny Corn for springtime (various pastel colors). Brach’s makes Indian Corn for Thanksgiving (brown, orange, and white) and an Autumn Mix candy corn.
9: After chocolate (68 percent), candy corn, at 10 percent, is the favorite Halloween treat, according to the National Confectioners Association.
10: October 30 is National Candy Corn Day.