No, twizzlers are not gluten free due to the fact that they contain wheat flour as an ingredient. Most known for its red color and twisted shape, twizzler’s are a favored snack around the world.
Popular with movie goers, licorice lovers, and candy connoisseurs alike, read on to find out more about the famous snack’s history and ingredient list.
When were twizzlers invented?
In 1929, a company named Young and Smylie came up with the idea of twisting sugar cords together to create one of the oldest candies still available in the United States. Young and Smylie changed their name in 1968 to Y&S Candies, at the start of the twizzler’s popularity. The company was bought by Hershey in 1968 who has kept producing the popular candy ever since.
What are twizzlers made from?
The four main ingredients that make up twizzlers are corn syrup, wheat flour, sugar and cornstarch. Additional ingredients consist of licorice extract, palm oil, and salt.
How are twizzlers made?
Twizzlers are made by pushing ingredients through a special twisting nozzle that creates their unique hollow-twisted shape. Today, the Hershey company produces around 200 tons of delicious twizzlers every day and reportedly 1 million miles each year.
What flavors of twizzlers are available?
While the Hershey company reports that their strawberry flavor accounts for 70% of twizzler flavors sold, there are over 32 different flavors available. Some flavors like cherry, strawberry, and licorice are sold year-round. Other flavors like raspberry, wildberry, and lemonade are produced annually for different events, like their summer flavor offerings.
Other flavors of twizzlers produced by the Hershey company and found in specialty packages are
- Blue Raspberry
- Grape
- Orange Creme Pop
- Strawberry Smoothie
- Cinnamon
- Key Lime Pie
- Orange & Black Cherry
- Caramel Apple
- Green Apple
- Fruit Punch
Are all twizzlers licorice?
No, all twizzlers are not licorice but they do have licorice extract. Only the black variety of twizzlers are actually licorice. The other flavors available only contain licorice extract. Therefore, the company labels all but the black variety ‘licorice-type candy’.
Where can I purchase twizzlers?
Because it is such a popular candy, you can purchase twizzlers at almost every store that sells candy, food, or snacks. Most local drugstores, convenience stores, and big box stores have many different flavors and sizes of twizzlers available for purchase.
Some of the more popular stores that you can purchase twizzler’s at are
- Walgreens
- CVS
- Walmart
- Target
- Costco
- Wegmans
Twizzlers in Pop Culture
There have been a few instances where twizzlers candy was featured in pop culture. It has been reported that one of the first few sentences that Neil Armstrong said while walking on the moon was asking if his teammates would like the twisted candy.
In another instance involving the 2016 Iran Nuclear talks, it was reported that both American and Iranian diplomats consumed more than 10 pounds of cherry twizzlers while coming to the agreement together.
Meta Description: Are twizzlers gluten free? The answer might surprise you! Read on to find out more about the delicious candy and all of the ingredients that it contains.