Mike and Ike, the original fruity American candy, is famous, and the Just Born candy firm produced the soft and chewy jellybean-shaped treats in 1940. Mike and Ike’s candy quickly became the most popular movie sweet in the United States. Its sweets come in various delicious and chewy flavors, including cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and (my favorite) strawberry.
Mike and Ike’s, the fruit-flavored Hot Tamales that are simpler to chew than the Dots we used to get in our Halloween plastic pumpkins, are extremely popular. But, amid all the other candy ads, such as Skittles’ “taste the rainbow” and Tart Patch Kids’ “first they’re sour, then they’re sweet,” Mike and Ike were forgotten.
Mike And Ike’s Nutrition Facts
Here is a table for Mike And Ike’s Nutrition Facts based on a 100-gram serving size and a 2,000-calorie diet:
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
| Calories | 375 | 19% |
| Total Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 31 mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 94 g | 31% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0% |
| Total Sugars | 64 g | |
| Protein | 0 g | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0 IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 0 mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 0 mg | 0% |
Note: Mike and Ike’s are a candy product and should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. These values are approximate and may vary slightly depending on the specific flavor and size of the product.
What Are Mike And Ike’s?
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, initially established the Mike and Ike brand in 1940. Its origin is unknown. However, it could have come from the Mike and Ike (They Look Alike) comic strip, which had terminated by the 1940s. Or it could be a reference to the Matina Brothers, two of whom, nicknamed “Mike” and “Ike,” were described as circus midgets and played Munchkins in the 1939 film.
The Wizard of Oz; according to author Dean Jensen, the two were so popular in America that a boxed confectionery was named after them. A company-wide contest, a vaudeville song called “Mike and Ike,” and Dwight D.
In 1953, Just Born purchased the Rodda Candy Company and produced novel candy tastes, such as cotton candy. Different flavors, such as Root Beer, were introduced in the 1960s, and others have been added on and off since then. Eisenhower, whose nickname was “Ike,” is among the other ideas.
Mike And Ike’s Chewy Candy
Features:
- Contains twelve (12) 5-ounce theater boxes of mike and ike Original Fruits chewy candy
- Features five assorted fruchewy flavors, great for sharing!
- Enjoy the classic flavors of Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, and Strawberry!
- Kosher, Gluten-free, and Fat-free
- Enjoy while streaming movies, fueling your gameplay, or snacking anytime!
What Are The Important Facts About Mike And Ike?
Here are some essential facts about mike and like:
They Debuted In 1940
The Just Born candy firm was founded in 1923 by Sam Born, a Russian immigrant who made a fortune by developing a machine that inserted sticks into lollipops. The original Just Born logo featured a little disturbing depiction of a baby laying on a candy scale, and the term was meant to convey freshness.
Trust Born launched its first big brand, Mike and Ike, in 1940, hoping to capitalize on the burgeoning desire for fruity, gummy sweets.
Mike And Ike Don’t Exist
Mike and Ike, like Aunt Jemima and Betty Crocker, are fictional food characters. Nobody knows where the names came from, not even the firm (or so they claim).
The most prevalent explanations are an allusion to Dwight Eisenhower, a prominent vaudeville act, and a 1937 song, “ike and Ike (The Twins).” Just Born boasts on its website that Mike and Ike are “the founders of the Mike and Ike candy brand” in answer to a question regarding the names’ origins.
Jellybeans And Marshmallows Helped The Company Grow
Just Born bought the Rodda Candy Company, which specialized in marshmallows and jellybeans, in 1953. Rodda’s jellybean experience aided Just Born in expanding Mike and Ike’s fruit tastes and variants, such as cotton candy.
Meanwhile, Sam Born’s son, Bob, mechanized the Rodda workers’ meticulously produced marshmallow Easter Peeps, which became a mainstream hit.
The First Flavor Additions Included Root-T-Toot And Jack And Jill
The brand’s early years were carried by Mike and Ike’s original fruit mix, including cherry, orange, lemon, and lime candy. The firm began offering additional flavors in the 1960s, such as Root-T-Toot, Jack and Jill, and Jolly Joe’s. The first was a root beer-flavored candy that came on a package with a smiling steamboat.
It was discontinued in the 1970s but was reintroduced as a limited anniversary edition in the late 1990s. That must have gone well because Just Born followed up with a Root Beer Float flavor a few years later. The business reintroduced Root Beer Float and the popular Cotton Candy flavor earlier this year. Mike and Ike have appeared in nearly 40 different variations.
The First Mike And Ike Were A Pair Of Dandies
Just Born has resisted depicting Mike and Ike in human form for years. The business then modified its Original Fruit packaging in the 1960s to include two mustachioed gentlemen.
The one wore a top hat and looked like a redheaded Willy Wonka, while the other was a sturdier, Dr. Watson-like figure in a green bowler. Was this a reference to the company’s vaudeville roots? Perhaps. The characters were a long cry from the two lads who currently depict Mike and Ike.
Are Mike And Ike’s Bad For You?
There is a wealth of information on the risks associated with their high sugar content. The issues identified by certain studies about the artificial dyes used to give them their color is more difficult to understand.
Mike and Ike’s candies are colored with four synthetic dyes: Red, Yellow, and Blue.
Advocacy groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest are campaigning to remove these dyes from the market or add warning labels to items that contain them. According to the CSPI, the hues promote hyperactivity in youngsters, raise cancer risk, accelerate tumor growth, and cause allergic reactions.
The FDA has refused, claiming that there isn’t enough evidence that the dyes are harmful and that a ban or warning labels would put producers under a financial strain. The International Food Information Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge, concurs with the FDA. They claim that the evidence is still insufficient to substantiate the hazards of the food colors currently on the market.
They also contend that labeling items with these colors will confuse consumers and reduce sales. However, there are other reasons to avoid Mike and Ike candies. They’re high in sugar, with 18 grams per 16 pieces, or roughly a third of your daily allowance. Those sugars are also added sugars; they account for about half of the added sugars you should consume daily.
Are Mike And Ike’s Vegan?
Yes and no. While most mike and ikes sweets are created without the usage of animal products, some flavors do contain controversial additives. The essential components of a product are the ingredients. Mike and Ikes are sweet that extensively use confectioner’s glaze. The sweets are well covered with a shiny layer that provides a smooth surface when you open a packet.
Because the glossy coating derives from a Lac beetle’s shellac resin, many vegans struggle with the confectioner’s glaze. Vegans, on the other hand, have a problem with this covering. Some people say it’s a vegan product, while others think it’s not. There are two leading causes behind this.
Furthermore, there are no environmental risks because these resins are scraped from the tree branches that the beetle leaves behind. Using shellac resin is not a concern for most vegans, who consider it a vegan product. However, some staunch vegans believe shellac resin to be a non-vegan substance because it is a by-product of an animal. This argument is credible enough to infer that shellac resin is non-vegan.
The addition of sugar cane is another reason Mike and Ikes are not called vegan. On the other hand, Bone char filters out contaminants throughout the manufacturing process. Because bone char is made from animal bones, it poses a problem for vegans. As a result, many vegans avoid anything that contains sugar extracted from sugar cane.
Conclusion
Mike and Ike’s candies aren’t very healthy. Sugar, corn syrup, modified food starch, and fruit juice concentrate are ingredients. Mike and Ike’s sweets have 110 calories and 18 grams of sugar in 16 pieces. See where they stand on this list of favorite candies among Americans.
Mike had pursued a music career, while Ike had followed a career in painting due to creative disagreements. The company even created customized packaging with either Mike or Ike’s name scratched out to exacerbate the “break-up.” There’s some good news for vegetarians! Even though some Mike And Ikes products are not vegan, you can still enjoy them safely because they are vegan.
Some substances are entirely safe and have no other worries or controversies. Mike and Ikes are free of egg albumin derived from egg whites. Egg albumin produces several candy goods to give them a chewy texture. It also lacks gelatin, a flavorless food ingredient that acts as an aerator, as both egg albumin and gelatin do.
