Fruit Gushers (History, FAQ, Flavors & Pictures)

Fruit Gushers, usually just called Gushers, are a fruity candy snack with a variety of flavors. Fruit Gushers are known for having a somewhat soft to chew outer gummy-gel shell and a burst of fruity-flavored juice in the center. Gushers get their name from the way the fruit-flavored juice in the center “gushes” into your mouth as you bit into the center of the gelatinous gummy-like candy shell.

Gushers are known for their odd-shaped, called an elongated hexagonal bipyramid, and although most people can’t be bothered to remember such a crazy name to a shape, they do remember the odd look of Fruit Gushers to be a fond point of the candy. Gushers are memorable, novel, and was very popular with kids in the lunchrooms at schools soon after Gushers were released in 1991.

History and Information

Fruit Gushers are a popular kids snack commonly referred to as just “Gushers” and are known for their juicy center and tropical fruit flavors. Gushers are novel candy that has a fruit flavor, real fruit juice and an unusual shape, with the candy looking almost like a jewel. Gushers are primarily marketed to kids, with the general trend of its commercials advertisements being aimed at children and teens. Fruit Gushers was first released in the year 1991, by General Mills under its popular Betty Crocker brand, makers of other famous treats such as Dunkaroos.

Originally released in just 2 flavors, Strawberry Splash and Gushin’ Grape, Fruit Gushers was a hit with kids who loved the delicious fruity liquid inside. Gushers had a very novel approach to their product, making it unusual, interesting to look at, colorful, tasty, and fun. The odd shape of Fruit Gushers called an elongated hexagonal bipyramid, is difficult to name, but is memorable and interesting to look at. The bright colors of this 90s candy Fruit Gushers are appealing and hint at its strong fruit flavor.

The most notable selling point about the product is the way it gushes out fruit-flavored juice as you bite into the semi-soft gel-gummy outer shell, thus the name “Gushers”. Adults at the time of release were less thrilled about the product, https://www.sun-sentinel.com held a taste test in 1991 at the time of Fruit Gushers’ initial launch, and the adults found the candy to be mediocre. The adults from sun sentinel’s panel found Fruit Gushers to be pleasant, though rather sugary taste. The adult panel also noted that Gushers got stuck in their teeth and tasted artificial, however, they admitted it is an age thing, as they enlisted younger people to try Gusher and they thought it was great.

However, as the population that Gushers was first introduced to has all grown up, many adults now seem to be finding themselves wanting to buy some Gushers, as social commentary and consumer preferences have revealed. It is now not so odd to see an adult buying Fruit Gushers at stores, enjoying the candy from their youth, even if Gushers was mainly a product intended for kids during its release.

The product has run into at least one legal fight in its time. Fruit Gushers, as well as Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit By the Foot, had a lawsuit against them that claimed they mislead consumers into thinking the products were healthy due to the box art depictions and labeling. The fruit snacks class-action lawsuit against General Mills was filed by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI) on behalf of any affected U.S. consumers.

The lawsuit pressed that the fruit snacks gave a wrongful idea of health due to the packaging’s promotion of things such as the products being “fruit-flavored”, “naturally flavored”, and “good source of vitamin C.” The company moved to dismiss the claim under the reasoning that there was no proof that they made the snacks appear healthy, however, the dismissal was rejected. In the end, Fruit Gushers did not appear to be changed, but a settlement agreement in 2013 lead to Fruit Roll-Ups Strawberry flavor having the strawberry removed from its packaging art.

Also, General Mills agreed that it would add the percent of real fruit used in the product if it choose to say the product contained real fruit. This settlement does not seem to be for Fruit Gushers however and seems it be limited to just the Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups. These changes were implemented before or during the year 2014.

Since Gusher’s release, it had proven to be a successful product, and it is still made as of 2019, decades longer than many products in the often short-lived and competitive candy and snack market. Since its launch, Gushers has added numerous new flavors to its line-up, now including varieties such as Scary Cherry and Tropical Freak Out as new flavors to its brand.

When first made, Gushers came in boxes that contained six packages of about nine Gushers each, with each package of 9 Gushers having 90 calories per package. Since that time period Fruit Gushers now has a more wide array of packaging options to choose from when consumers buy Gushers, increasing convenience so the customer can get just want they want. Often mistaken for its similarly colorful and fruity sibling candies, Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit By the Foot, Fruit Gushers nonetheless stands on its own as a popular and well-liked fruit candy snack that also comes available in a variety pack.

The Shape Of Fruit Gushers

The shape of Fruit Gushers is a curious one, and most people have no easy name to describe it. A Gusher has been described as having an elongated hexagonal bipyramid. It has also been said that the shape of a Gusher is a hexagonal pyramid with a low apex on top. Others have described Gushers being shaped like an acorn.

The Company That Makes Fruit Gushers

The company that produces Fruit Gushers is General Mills, under its Betty Crocker brand. General Mills is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of food. Its brand, Betty Crocker, is a cherry name to personalize communication with customers and give a friendly perspective on the foods General Mills makes.

Fruit Gushers Has Artificial Flavors and Colors Removed.

In 2015, General Mills announced that it will be removing artificial colors and sources from all of its fruit-flavored snacks, including Gushers, as well as other products associated with it, such as Fruit By the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups. The change is expected to have been completed in 2017. At the time of the announcement, it was stated by General Mills that over 20 percent of its fruit-flavored snacks brand already were free from artificial colors and flavors, including Mott’s, Gelatin, and Fiber One.

“We believe in the products that we have today and see this as an opportunity to make them even better,” says Jacquie Klein, senior marketing manager, fruit-flavored snacks. “This is all about continuing to deliver what families want and meet the changing needs of consumers over time.”

“All of the changes will continue to allow us to deliver the products that families love today,” Jacquie says. “We’re going to make changes that delight them and will taste great.”

The Year Gushers Was Invented

Gushers were invented in the year 1991. The snack was released to the public in 2 different flavors and was met with a generally favorable reception.

The Packaging Style

Gushers come in small packages of plastic with aluminum foil lining, generally with each packet containing about 10 individual Fruit Gusher candies inside the packaging. The packaging of Gushers is often a characteristic yellow color with splashes of additional colors on it representing the Fruit Gushers inside the package. However, sometimes the packaging can be other colors than yellow, such as black and purple.

Sometimes you can buy Gushers as individual packets, but they also come with many smaller packets in a larger box you can buy as well. Sometimes when opening a package of Gushers you will find that several of the individual candies inside are stuck together, however, they do come easily apart so that they can be eaten as individual pieces as desired.

Special editions of Gushers may have different types of packaging styles, such as the Sweet And fiery edition of Fruit Gushers, which has an all-black colored packaging background with orange flames and red Gushers to advertise its special spicy flavor.

Information On Buying

Buying Fruit Gushers is fairly easy thanks to its wide availability. Gushers can be found in stores all over the United States and can often be found in the stores of other countries as well. You can buy Gushers in stores such as S&S MiniMart and Walmart as of 2019. Depending on your location you may find different flavors and versions available to you, and not all types of Gushers can be found everywhere. You can also buy Fruit Gushers online if you can’t find the type in stock in a location close to you.

You can easily buy large amounts of Gushers in bulk by purchasing them off the internet and having them sent to you. This is a good idea for those who are having a kids’ birthday party and want to stock up on the candy. You can see a list of stores that sell Fruit Gushers by checking the list below, and you can see offers to buy Fruit Gushers online and have it shipped to you in the section underneath.

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Stores That Sell Fruit Gushers

Here is a list of some stores that may sell Fruit Gushers and most commonly sell 0.8 oz, 42 ct sizes.

1. S&S MiniMart
2. Citgo
3. Stop And Shop
4. Walmart
5. Target
6. CVS
7. Dollar General

The Flavors

Here is a list of the different types of flavors of Fruit Gushers:

• Watermelon Blast
• Double Dare Berry
• Fruit Fusion
• Tropical Spooky Fruit
• Hawaiian Punch flavors. (Including Pineapple Paradise, Watermelon Luau, and Maui Mango)
• Fruitomic Punch
• Tropical Flavors
• Extreme Kiwi Explosion
• Strawberry Splash
• Gushing Grape
• Screaming Green Apple
• Triple Berry Shock
• Sour Fruit Gushers
• Spooky Strawberry
• Super Sour Fruit Gushers
• Super Sour Berry Fruit Gushers
• Sour Berry Blast (Introduced Circa 1994)
• Passion Berry Punch flavor
• Busting Berry Lemonade flavor
• Roboberry Ultra Blast
• Rocking Blue Raspberry flavored
• Scary Cherry (Super Sour Fruit Gushers)
• Grumpy Grape (Super Sour Fruit Gushers)
• Crabby Apple (Super Sour Fruit Gushers)
• Tropical Freak Out (X-Scream Mouth Morphers Edition)
• Spicy Watermelon (Sweet And Fiery Edition)
• Hot Melon (Sweet And Fiery Edition)
• Fiery Peach (Sweet And Fiery Edition)

Spin-Off Products

The candy Fruit Gushers has inspired other variations and spin-offs of the snack.

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Fruit Gushers Mixers

One spin-off is Fruit Gushers Mixers. The “Mixers” variation contains 2 flavors inside one piece of Gushers candy. After piercing the outer chewy shell of the Gusher, the fruit juice that is released is a mix of 2 different flavors rather than just 1. Flavors that Gushers Mixers have inside one piece of candy include combinations such as Orange Cherry, Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Peach and Punch Berry flavor.

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Fruit Gushers Sour

Fruit Gusher Sour is a more sour take on the candy. Rather than the typically sweet and fruity combination of taste that Gushers tends to give, a more sour taste has replaced the sweetness. Sour Fruit Gushers come in flavors such as Apple, Cherry, and Grape. A Super Sour Fruit Gushers variety was also released, said by many to be very sour, like the name implies. Super Sour Gushers come in packets that are near identical in design to the normal varieties, and the individual candy pieces look very much like the normal version. However, Super Sour Gushers contains a far more sour version than the original version, containing flavors such as Scary Cherry, Crabby Apple, and Grumpy Grape. A Sour Berry Blast Gushers version was released by Betty Crocker in 1994. A Fruit Gushers Supper Sour Berry version also exists.

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Galactic Fruit Gushers

Galactic Fruit Gushers are a space-themed version of Gushers that featured a special piece of Gushers candy that had a bumpy surface, rather than the typical smooth one that normal Gushers have, and it contains a fruity green juice in the center to correspond to the alien theme of the spin-off. Included in the package were also normal Gushers to add to the variety of the packet. Another version of Galactic Fruit Gushers exists that contains flavors such as Galaxy Grape, Black Hole Berry, and Asteroid Apple, though it appears that it may not contain the special bumpy version of Gushers candy pieces.

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Fruit Gushers Lip Balms

Fruit Gushers Lip Balms are edible Lip Balms that are a completely new direction for the brand. This spin-off product is manufactured under license by Taste Beauty. Fruit Gushers Lip Balms come in at least 10 different flavors and 7 different colors. Flavors include Passion Berry Punch, Tropical Flavors, Twisted Berry Lemonade, and Strawberry Splash. Snack History contacted General Mills to ask about the edibility of the product, who recommended contacting the Fruit Gushers Slip Balms licensed manufacture “Taste Beauty”. Taste Beauty confirmed their Fruit Gushers Lip Balms are edible in an Email response to Snack History’s inquiry saying “yes it is” when asked if the product was safe to consume.

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Jurassic Gushers

Around the year 1999, a version that was referred to by advertising as “Jurassic Gushers” was introduced. This version included special candy pieces that were prehistoric themed, such as calling the juice inside the Gusher candy piece “fruity lava juice”. The boxes that contained these were specially marked as containing “Jurassic Pieces”. These special pieces of Gushers were mixed with the more normal ones and were inside otherwise ordinary boxes of Gushers. The “Jurassic Gushers” pieces were included in at least 5 different boxes of other types of flavors.

Sweet And Fiery Fruit Gushers

Coming in a black box with red and orange artwork, this version stands out as something that is hot and spicy. Sweet And Fiery Gushers come in 3 new flavors, Spicy Watermelon, Hot Melon, and Fiery Peach. These little candies produce a rather strong and hot flavor as the box implies. They don’t look anything special, like most variations of the original Gushers, these look fairly normal, but they are much spicier.

Fruit Gushers Mood Morphers

Mood Morphers are a special version of Gushers that taste the same but turn your tongue different colors such as blue or green. These come in 3 colors in a bag, green, red, and orange. The colors of the candies do not correspond to the color of a person’s tongue when eating Mood Morphers. Sometimes or some colors may not change the pigment of a person’s tongue at all. The idea of this version of the candy is that “The tongue tells it all”, with the packaging suggesting the color of one’s tongue will show their mood.

Fruit Gushers Mouth Morphers

Mouth Morphers look like normal Fruit Gusher but will turn your tongue blue or green. Multiple colors are included in the bag, but they can only turn your tongue blue or green. In the advertisement for Mouth Morphers, a boy and a girl in school took turns trying the candy and their heads turned into large fruits, with a girl’s head turned into a watermelon and the boys turned into an orange.

A Mystery Mouth Morphers variant was also introduced. This edition was introduced as a spooky-themed version of Fruit Gushers that would turn your tongue a mysterious blue color. The advertisement for this version showed 2 boys in a tent, with one telling a “spooky story” to the other, when he eat a Mystery Mouth Morpher and his tongue turned blue. Although the boy’s tongue was never actually shown and instead it appears as a glowing blue silhouette from an angle outside the tent that the boy was in.

Another similar edition to the above was introduced called X-Scream Mouth Morphers Fruit Gushers. This edition was introduced the Halloween candy version of Fruit Gushers. X-Scream Mouth Morphers was advertised to contain special pieces and to turn your tongue a mysterious blue color. This package contained orange and green candy pieces and introduced a new flavor called Tropical Freak Out.

Popularity

Fruit Gushers has managed to fight its way into the hearts and minds of snack consumers. One can see why Gushers has become a fairly popular product, it is very novel and unique. Not only is it different, but it tastes pretty good to many people, and is fun to eat. the juicy nature and odd shape of Gushers help keep the candy interesting and in the minds of its fans.

This candy has been around since the year 1991, and the kids who enjoyed it are starting to grow up now. Many find themselves still attached to Fruit Gushers as an adult, and regardless of the tides of time and changing consumers’ snack preferences, Gushers has still managed to make a name for itself.

Experiences

My dad used to buy Gushers for me all the time when I was younger, and I could not get enough of them. When I was a kid I used to eat these things constantly, and my dad would get them for me every day he came home from work. He would always stop by the store on his way home to grab a few things and get Gushers with whatever else he got. I used to go insane for the orange ones because I thought they tasted the best. I don’t eat Gushers nearly as much now that I am an adult, but I always have fond thoughts about my experiences when them and my dad as a kid.

Review

This review is for Fruit Gushers Strawberry Splash

Fruit Gushers comes in a pleasant and almost-futuristic-looking aluminum package. The foil package just gives off a sense of “I am fun!” and it invokes a feeling of enjoyment just handing it. The Strawberry Splash flavor’s Gusher candies are a nice bright and friendly-looking red, begging to be eaten. Eating one is an interesting experience, at first taste there is a bit of strawberry flavor, but biting into the Gushers is where it gets interesting.

A small burst of fruit-flavored juice awaits you after biting into the candy, and the Strawberry is strong and sweet, almost shockingly so. The candy is easy enough to chew, unlike other candies such as Twizzlers, which take far longer to munch on. Fruit Gushers is soft and chewy and is easy to tear up and gulp down. The Strawberry Splash tastes very sweet, but it is still a pretty enjoyable experience, if not a slightly wet one.

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Commercials

Here are some examples of Fruit Gushers commercials for you to watch.

FRUIT GUSHERS COMMERCIAL FROM THE YEAR 1997.

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FRUIT GUSHERS COMMERCIAL. ALL THAT GOOS IS NOT GUSH.

Ingredients and Nutritional Information – Strawberry Splash

The following information is for a 26 Gram pouch of Fruit Gushers Strawberry Splash Ingredients:

• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Dried Corn Syrup
• Pear Puree Concentrate
• Modified Corn Starch
• Fructose
• Maltodextrin
• Palm Oil
• Contains 2% or Less of: Cottonseed Oil, Glycerin, Grape Juice Concentrate, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Monoglycerides, Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, Agar-Agar, Red 40, Xanthan Gum

Nutrition

Serving Size:	26g	% Daily Value *
Amount Per Serving
Calories per serving	90
Calories from Fat	10
Total Fat	1.5g	2%
Saturated Fat	0.5g	4%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	45mg
Total Carbohydrate	21g	7%
Sugars	12g
Protein	0g
Vitamin A		10%
Vitamin C		10%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

(Information taken in 2019 from https://www.generalmills.com/en/Brands/Snacks/fruit-snacks/brand-product-list)

Fun Recipes

Here are some fun recipes to use with Fruit Gushers.

• Gushers Topped Cake: Like cherries on the top of your cakes? Then try some strawberry Gushers instead in this little recipe. Take a vanilla icing cake and cover the top with strawberry Gushers to add its sweet gushy juice to your cake.
• Gusher-Drop Soup: This recipe calls for a nice light soup and some Fruit Gushers of your favorite flavor. After your soup is read to eat, add some Gushers candies into it and enjoy!
• Fruit Gushers Crackers: Using peanut butter you can take some crackers and spread the peanut butter on it, add some Fruit Gushers and you now have a whole new type of treat.
• Fruit Gusher Sandwich: You can take your favorite sandwich and add Gushers to them to give them an extra kick. Use whatever type of sandwich you like,be it tuna or peanut butter, and add all the colors of Fruit Gushers you can find. You you will have a real blast of flavors on your hands in a way you never had it before.

FAQ

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