Why Fruit Stripe Gum Was, Sadly, Discontinued

The year claimed another victim. In tallying up the foods discontinued in 2024, there are some real heavy hitters among the fallen. Now, you can add Fruit Stripe Gum to the mausoleum of nostalgic treats that we aren't getting back. For adults of a certain age — we're looking at you, Gen Xers and millennials — Fruit Stripe gum was involved in some serious core memories. The sweet, fruity flavor of the gum may have only lasted a minute or two, but, man, what a rollercoaster those 60 seconds were! And then there were the insanely-cool gum wrappers, which could be used to weave origami chains with zero purpose. The gum even came packaged with temporary tattoos. Why did it have to go?

Ferrara Candy, the parent company of Fruit Stripe, issued a statement to Pro Food World blaming the discontinuation on "many factors [...] including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns." It's possible to speculate from that euphemistic language that the kids nowadays just didn't appreciate the fleeting pleasures of Fruit Stripe the way that their parents did.

For those who mentally relate Fruit Stripe Gum to the halcyon days of the 1990s, it may come as a shock to know that the gum went out with over 50 years of history under its multicolored belt. Invented in the 1960s by James Parker and manufactured by Beech-Nut, Fruit Stripe changed hands multiple times over the decades before landing with the Ferrara Candy Company, which owns several other historic candy products, like Runts, Fire Ball, Spree, and Fun Dip. Fruit Stripe was known for its brightly-colored gum with the short-lasting flavor, and for its zany mascot, Yipes the zebra. But, while some of these oldies-but-goodies have captured new hearts in the digital era, others have failed to adapt or grow a new audience. That may have been what sealed the deal for Fruit Stripe. 

The last few years have been hard-hitting for middle-aged adults trying to enjoy childhood favorites, with Kudos bars being discontinued, and Choco Tacos disappearing as well. It's always a rough blow when a little piece of your youth dies, even if the aforementioned piece was a stick of gum that had nine or ten better competitors. RIP, Fruit Stripe, and may you enjoy your eternal rest in the big candy shop in the sky.