Who Remembers Fruit Wrinkles From The '80s?
With the jelly fruit challenge trending all over TikTok, it seems that kids today love fruit snacks just as much as they did back in the '80s. But clearly fruit snacks have come a long way since then — at least since the 1986 invention of Fruit Wrinkles, which pale in comparison to what's on the market today (via The Daily Meal). The newest type of fruit snack, also known as Ju-C Jello Bags, are essentially bursting gummies that turn your tongue different colors — basically a hybrid of a Jolly Rancher and Fruit Gusher, Delish reports.
Fruit Wrinkles, on the other hand, were as basic as fruit snacks get, and didn't get quite as much love when they were released. Despite how short-lived its existence was, Fruit Wrinkles did air a considerable number of commercials (via YouTube). Fruit Wrinkles were consistently promoted as a snack that not only was just as healthy as actual fruit, but also one that was a far better alternative to sweeter, candy-like products like Fruit Roll-Ups. Ironically however, both Fruit Roll Ups and Fruit Wrinkles shared the same parent company, Betty Crocker.
Fruit Wrinkles were too similar to raisins
According to a commercial (shared on YouTube) that aired the year of its release, Fruit Wrinkles reportedly contained all-natural ingredients, were made with real fruit, and were a great source of vitamin C. This selling point unfortunately wasn't compelling enough to keep Fruit Wrinkles in circulation, as children took a stronger liking to the similar Fruit Roll-Ups.
Gone But Not Forgotten Groceries speculates that the product's demise was due to the fact that it appealed more to parents than children, and had zero novelty. While products like Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Gushers were equally fun and tasty, Fruit Wrinkles were just about as exciting (and wrinkly) as raisins. Considering their texture, Fruit Wrinkles were basically raisins that tasted like cherry, lemon, orange, and strawberry. Kids of the '80s clearly weren't impressed, and parents could easily pick up a box of Sun-Maid instead. And considering the range of fruit snacks options on the market today, Fruit Wrinkles probably wouldn't have stood the test of time anyway.