Warheads (candy)
Warheads (trademarked as WARHEADS) is a brand of sour candy manufactured by Impact Confections. The candy was invented in Taiwan in 1975 and was first imported to the United States by The Foreign Candy Company in the early 1980s. For a while, special ("HOT") versions of the candy were also available but proved to be less popular. They are currently manufactured and distributed in the United States by Impact Confections and in Australia by Funtastic Limited. They proved to be very popular, especially with children; in 1999, Warheads were referred to as a " million brand." [1] Impact Confections acquired the brand in 2004.
Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy derive their strong sour flavour primarily from malic acid which is applied as a coating to the outside of the small, hard candies. The intense sour flavour fades after about 5 to 10 seconds, leaving a fairly mild candy that contains the somewhat less sour ascorbic acid and citric acid.
The name "Warheads" comes from the notion that the sour taste of the candies is akin to a real warhead going off in one's mouth, and the brand's mascot, Wally Warheads, is depicted as a boy with puckered lips and a small mushroom cloud emanating from the top of his head. A driving force behind the candy's popularity were informal competitions among schoolchildren to determine who could withstand eating the largest number of Warheads at once.[2]
A warning is now included on Warheads packaging, as follows:
| “ | CAUTION: Eating multiple pieces at the same time or within a short time of each other may cause an irritation to sensitive tongues and mouth. This may vary from a slight irritation to a severe reaction depending on the individual.[3] | ” |
Contents |
Varieties [edit]
In addition to the Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy, the Warheads brand encompasses several other types of candy; Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy Mini Size (previously known as "Juniors"), Warheads SuperSour Spray, Warheads SuperSour DoubleDrops, Warheads Sour Chewy Cubes, Warheads Sour Dippers, Warheads Sour Coolers, and Warheads Sour Twists.
Flavours [edit]
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Current flavours
- Apple
- Blue Raspberry
- Black Cherry
- Lemon
- Watermelon
- Raspberry
- Green Apple
Past versions
Warheads distributed a hot version of their signature warheads, "HOT" Torture Scorchers, in four flavours for a limited time.
- Lemon-Lime Lava
- Raspberry Rage
- Cherry Combustion
- Tangerine Torcher
Warheads distributed a fizz version of their signature warheads.
