The gum of many childhoods has been discontinued after a whooping 54 years, and it comes as a surprise to many. According to its manufacturer, Ferrara Candy, Fruit Stripe gum has officially been discontinued. "We have made the difficult decision to sunset Fruit Stripe Gum, but consumers may still be able to find the product at select retailers nationwide,” a representative said in a statement. “The decision to sunset this product was not taken lightly, and we considered many factors before coming to this decision, including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns.”
Invented in the 1960s by James Parker, the gum brand was popular among younger audiences. Commercials featuring its mascot, Yipes the Zebra, appealed to children everywhere.
The gum was originally manufactured and sold by the Beech-Nut Confection Division, then later passed around to Nabisco, Hershey, and Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, which then joined with Ferrara Pan Candy to create the Ferrara Candy Company. The gum came in five flavors: Wet n’ Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange, and Peach.
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People from around the world reacted to the news.
"The best run-out-of-flavor-in-3-secs gum, ever," one person commented.
"I enjoyed Fruit Stripe gum too!" another person wrote. "Can’t believe it’s now a deceased nostalgic gum. Maybe Hershey’s, Mars, or Wrigley shall revive it."
