Runts
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Runts (also known as Fruit Runts) are hard candies sold by Nestlé under their Willy Wonka Candy Company brand. First seen on the market in 1982, they are fruit flavored candies in the shape of their respective fruits. Original Runts have a hard candy shell with a somewhat powdery center (the center being the consistency of the more-familiar Sweet Tarts).
Past and current Runts
The original lineup of Runts included banana, orange, cherry, strawberry, and lime. In the late nineties, watermelon and blue raspberry were added, and lime was removed. Starting in 2007, the flavors for Runts were orange, banana, strawberry, mango, and pineapple. Starting in 2009, the flavors for Runts were orange, banana, strawberry, grape, and green apple.
Runt varieties
In the 1990s, a variation known as "Tropical Runts" was available. The blue raspberry and watermelon Runts originated in this candy. A similar variant, "Rock'n Runts", contained watermelon, pineapple, lemon, raspberry, and grape flavors.
There is also a soft and chewy version of Runts known as Chewy Runts, which includes grape and green apple flavors in addition to banana, strawberry, and orange.
Ingredients and nutrition information
Ingredients include: dextrose, maltodextrin, and less than 2% of corn syrup, malic acid, calcium stearate, carnauba wax, artificial flavors, color added, red 40 lake, yellow 5, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6. (Note: these are the ingredients listed on the back of the box.)
As stated by the Wonka website, the box comes in two sizes: theater size (6 oz.) and single box (1.8 oz.)
Nutrition facts as given on a box of Runts: Serv size: 12 pieces, servings: about 3.5, amount per serving calories: 60, total fat: 0 g (0% DV) Sodium: 0 mg (0% DV) total carb: 14 g (5% DV) sugars: 13 g protein: 0 g (Percent daily values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.)
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