Pop Rocks - Background and History

Background and History

The concept was patented by General Foods research chemist William A. Mitchell in 1977. The candy was first offered to the public in 1975. In 1983, General Foods withdrew the product owing to its lack of success in the marketplace and to its relatively short shelf life.

Distribution was initially controlled to ensure freshness; but with its increasing popularity, unauthorized redistribution from market to market resulted in out-of-date product reaching consumers. After that, Kraft Foods licensed the Pop Rocks brand to Zeta Espacial S.A. who continued manufacturing the product under Kraft´s license. Eventually Zeta Espacial S.A. became the brand´s owner and the only manufacturer of Pop Rocks popping candy in the world. Currently Pop Rocks is distributed in the U.S. by Pop Rocks Inc (Atlanta, GA) and by Zeta Espacial S.A. (Barcelona – Spain) in the rest of the world. Zeta Espacial S.A. also sells popping candy internationally under other brands including Peta Zetas, Fizz Wiz and Magic Gum.

In 2008, Dr. Marvin J. Rudolph, who led the group assigned to bring Pop Rocks out of the laboratory and into the manufacturing plant, wrote a history of Pop Rocks development. The book, titled Pop Rocks: The Inside Story of America's Revolutionary Candy, was based on interviews with food technologists, engineers, marketing managers, and members of Billy Mitchell's family, along with the author's experience. In the book, Dr. Rudolph points out that the Turkish company HLEKS Popping Candy flooded the market with popping candy in the year 2000, and have since become the international market leader, with more advanced and own patents making a lot of innovative products with popping candy.

A similar product, Cosmic Candy, previously called Space Dust, was in powdered form and was also manufactured by General Foods.

In 2012, Cadbury Schweppes Pty. Ltd. (in Australia) began producing a chocolate product named "Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy Beanies" which contains popping candy, jelly beans and beanies (candy covered chocolate).