History of Candy in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: November 22, 2024

Candy, also known as sweets or lollies, is a confection primarily made of sugar. The broader category, sugar confectionery, includes chocolate, chewing gum, and sugar candy. Candied foods are those glazed and coated with sugar, often including vegetables, fruits, or nuts.

1904: Candy-Coated Cereal at World's Fair

Quaker Oats introduced a candy-coated puffed wheat cereal, similar to Cracker Jack, at the 1904 World's Fair.

1906: Pure Food and Drug Act

In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act, the first US federal law regulating food and drugs (including candy), was passed due to research on additive dangers, exposés of the food industry, and public pressure.

1914: Early Candy Wrapping Machines

Some machines for wrapping gum and stick candies existed by 1914, though it wasn't yet common practice.

1916: Polio Outbreak Impacts Candy Packaging

The 1916 polio outbreak led to widespread criticism of unwrapped candies due to concerns about dirt and germs. At the time, only high-end candy stores typically used glass jars.

1925: Advancements in Candy Packaging

In 1925, advancements in technology brought wax paper into wider use for candy packaging. Foil and cellophane were also imported from France to the U.S. by DuPont. Necco was among the first to implement packaging without human touch.

1939: Ranger Joe Cereal

In 1939, Ranger Joe, the first pre-sweetened, candy-coated breakfast cereal was introduced, though unsuccessfully.

1948: Sugar Crisp Cereal

Post Foods launched Sugar Crisp (originally Happy Jax) in 1948, marketing it as a breakfast cereal, snack, and candy, using the mascots Candy, Handy, and Dandy.

1959: Swedish Dental Health Campaign

A 1959 Swedish campaign promoted limiting candy consumption to once a week to improve dental health, creating the "lördagsgodis" (Saturday candy) tradition.

2009: Toy Safety Directive

The EU's Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC established rules for toys within food products, mandating separate, non-swallowable packaging.

2012: Global Candy Sales

In 2012, global candy sales reached an estimated US$118 billion. In the US, twice as much money was spent on chocolate as on non-chocolate candy.

2019: Halloween Candy Sales

Halloween candy sales increased substantially between 2019 and 2021, demonstrating ongoing popularity of the tradition.

2021: Halloween Candy Sales

Profits from Halloween candy sales in 2021 reached at least $324 million in the United States. Sales were up almost 60% from 2019.

2022: Popular Halloween Candies

In 2022, Reese's Cups, Kit Kat, and Snickers were the top three Halloween candies, reflecting the ongoing popularity of pre-packaged sweets for trick-or-treating.