All Skittles Taste the Same? And 14 Sweets Myths & Facts

Sticky but puffy and sweet. No I’m not talking about me — I am talking about cotton candy. Do you think it was invented by a dentist, or is it just a myth?

It’s not irony. It is a fact!

Boo to the statement: “Too much sugar is bad for the teeth”. People worldwide probably heard this phrase from their dentists. Yet, in the United States, a one-on-its-kind dentist mass-produced the fluffiest version of sugar.

So, machine-spun cotton candy was invented in 1895. Its inventors are dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton. Fun fact: They named their product “fairy floss.” Over time, its name evolved to cotton candy. Cotton candy is part of our sweetest memories. Just remember to brush after eating it.

White chocolate isn’t actually chocolate. Do you think this is a myth or a fact?

It is a fact! I know it’s as tasty as dark or milk chocolate. But white chocolate is another form of cocoa. Milk and dark chocolate are derived from cocoa powder; white chocolate is made from cocoa butter.

It lacks chocolate solids. This means white chocolate doesn’t qualify as real chocolate. Besides, white chocolate products often contain additives such as palm oil and sweeteners.

The hole in the middle of the Life Savers candy is there to provide an airway. Myth or fact?

It is a myth. It claims that the hole enables people to breathe if the candy accidentally sticks to their throats. Plus, it looks like life preservers. So the myth makes sense at first glance. The real story is backed by basic science.

Clarence Crane began making peppermint candy in 1912. The hole was put there to stand out from other European candies. Then the candy-makers couldn’t help but compare these mints with lifesavers. To me, they look like donuts too.

All colors of Skittles taste the same. Do you think that’s a fact or a mind-blowing myth?

It’s a fact. Okay, the taste is the signal coming from the tongue. The smell is the signal coming from the nose. Combine those and the other signals coming from your eyes and even ears; you have flavor.

Based on this, researchers did some experiments. They blindfolded people and gave them nose clips. I am speeding up the whole experiment process and jumping to the results. So, although each color has distinct fragrances, they don’t have different flavors.

Gather up Skittles fans. I have another one for you. American people’s favorite Skittle flavor is strawberry. Do you think this is true?

Yes, that’s a fact. Skittles conducted a survey that revealed that the red Skittles is America’s favorite with 33%. Yellow is the least loved one with only 6%, least preferred flavor preferences.

The research also claims how you eat your Skittles says a lot about you. For instance, one-at-a-time Skittles eaters are more prone to binge-watch the series. Plus, 23% of Skittles eaters prefer if they melt in a mouth on the Skittles.

Bubble Yum Contains Spider parts. Do you think this is a myth or fact?

As you might’ve guessed, it is an urban legend. Before the 1970s, most of the gums in the US are too brittle and hard to chew. Then this gum appeared on the shelves, and people liked it. They generally like the flavor, color, texture, and chewiness. You know all the things you want from the gum.

Someone somewhere started this myth. This myth spreads quickly and is somehow accepted. The company has to fight the rumor. So they give full-page ads in national newspapers. It seems like ads worked because Bubble Yum lived on as a soft gum. The parent company spent over $100,000 battling this rumor.

Different colored flakes of Froot Loops have different tastes. Myth or fact?

Sorry to disappoint you, but this is a myth. The cereal’s flavor has remained the same since its introduction. Plus, that’s singular. All of those loops are flavored the same.

Finding a star on a Tootsie Pop wrapper would earn you a free lollipop. Myth or fact?

Well, this is a myth. This soon became an urban legend, so the company launched its own legend named “Legend of the Indian Wrapper.” How to fight a myth? Hmm, create a new legend. Make it about your product and control the rumors from the start. Do you fancy a free lollipop?

Van Halen’s Concert Contract required removing Brown M&Ms from the rest of the bowl full. Is this a myth or fact?

This is a fact. Van Halen’s contract specified a bowl of M&Ms backstage and insisted on removing the brown ones. You can see it on the contract in Van Halen’s 1982 world tour, under the “Munchies” section. This note is written with capital letters: “M&M’s (WARNING: ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN ONES)”. The legendary “no brown M&Ms” clause was indeed real, yet the motivation behind it has been misunderstood.

This was not a backstage caprice of a self-centered rock band. It had a practical purpose: The reason was to determine if the other side had actually read the contract’s technical specifications. If the band saw the brown M&Ms were missing, then it proved the concert promoters had indeed read the agreement in detail and made the necessary adjustments for the stage performances.

You can eat as much sugar-free candy as you want because it is sugar-free. Myth or fact?

Artificial sweeteners are super popular. Experts say one common thing: too much sugar creates health problems. This leads some people to think that artificial sweeteners are a solution. No, it’s a myth.

This isn’t “the perfect solution” if there is one. For instance, a study says that certain artificial sweeteners can negatively affect gut activity, meaning you can get tummy troubles, and worse. Use your imagination.

Eating Pop Rocks and drinking coke at the same time is not possible. Myth or fact?

Myth. Pop Rocks is one of the candies that begin to fizzle and pop when you put them in your mouth. You can drink coke when you have the sugar in your mouth. This is possible. The rumors got to another planet. People started making real campaigns after hearing this myth over and over. So the maker of Pop Rocks had to make its counter-campaign to protect the candy’s reputation.

Sweets cause more tooth decay than other food. What do you think, myth or fact?

It is a myth! Oh, debunking this gives me chills. Parents mostly create this myth. Experts reveal the truth saying that any food that has carbohydrates can cause tooth decay. Sugar is as disruptive or as neutral as other food that contains carbohydrates.

It takes seven years to digest a piece of gum. Is it a myth or fact?

Once again, you have to remember that not everything people think is actually true. This is a myth! If this were true, doctors could find evidence of the gum in the digestive tract from people who swallowed some gum. They don’t. It’s because gum, similar to most other unprocessed foods, will travel through your tummy and intestines within 24–48 hours. Trust me.

The Twinkie stays fresh forever. Myth or fact?

This is another widespread myth! There is no Eternal Twinkie. Some ingredients in Twinkies are eggs, milk, and butter, which is stuff that will eventually go bad.

It’s not artificially processed food. It will expire at one point, which is about three months or so. When you think of it, food can’t last forever. It is not Twinkie’s fault.

Chocolate has a high amount of caffeine in it. Do you think this is a fact or myth?

It is said that a one-and-a-half ounce milk chocolate bar contains 9 milligrams of caffeine, which is equal to the amount in a cup of decaffeinated coffee. So this is a “mostly” myth. Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine. But if you need something that keeps you late at night or wakes you up in the morning, your first choice would probably not be eating chocolate. Instead, grab that cup of joe!