The Surprising Truth About The Inventor Of Skittles

While many people associate Skittles with the iconic marketing phrase, "Taste the Rainbow," the inventor of Skittles might not be on the tip of the tongue. Some well-known candy brands have a clear candy name to inventor association. For example, Mental Floss shared the story that M&M's is a reference to the inventor Forrest Mars and his benefactor Bruce Murrie. For Skittles, there is a void when it comes to the specific inventor behind the fruity, chewy candy. Delish says that although the actual Skittles inventor is unknown, people have speculated about a supposed Mr. Skittles. Whether this mystery man sought to capture a prism of flavor in a candy or just created a tasty treat, many people have come to love this chewy, fruity confection.

While the exact inventor remains a mystery, many other facts are known about the popular Mars Wrigley candy. The Daily Meal references that Skittles were a British candy that was brought to the United States. While the first candies date back to 1974 in the UK, they didn't make it to the United States until five years later. As stated by Delish, the current Skittles line-up is produced by Mars Wrigley. Although the first flavors were "grape, orange, strawberry, lemon and lime," Mars Wrigley has expanded its flavor offerings to include a Skittles Gummies and Skittles Smoothies as reported by Candy USA. As stated on the Mars Wrigley website, it encourages candy fans to "'travel the rainbow and taste the rainbow."

Although the Skittles tag line "Taste the Rainbow" is nearly 30 years old (via The Fact Site), one color has some people preferring that it be left out of the rainbow. In a 2019 Mars Wrigley Confectionery study, reported in Candy USA, yellow was the least popular Skittles flavor. According to the study, "only 6 percent of consumers enjoy the yellow candies." While the Mars Wrigley study looked at a variety of eating methods and flavor preferences, it seems that Skittles fans do have an opinion about these chewy candies. Who knew that yellow wouldn't bring sunshine to the candy rainbow?

While there is a mystery around the inventor of Skittles and some people have a clear color preference, Skittles are a popular candy brand. Delish reports that Skittles are the second most popular candy behind Starburst. Given the brand's popularity, the Skittles Twitter account has used its status to add colorful commentary to its candy world. Whether or not Mr. Skittles was the candy inventor might not be quite as important. Sometimes a little intrigue can make for a more vibrant story.