A familiar choice in the candy aisle for decades, enjoyed by kids and adults, the iconic Fruit Stripe chewing gum that has been sold since the 1960s is now set to be discontinued by its manufacturer.
The owner of Fruit Stripe gum, Ferrara, said the decision to end production of the product was a serious matter for the company after half a century of sales.
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The nostalgic online candy vendor Old Time Candy announced it would no longer be able to sell the product to customers because it had been informed that the gum's maker was ending production.
"We are sad to announce that Fruit Stripe Gum has been discontinued by the manufacturer. We are disappointed too," the site told its customers in a statement.
The gum, which included 17 pieces in each pack, also was known to come with a temporary tattoo inspired by its mascot, called Yipes the Zebra.
The gum was introduced around half a century ago by a company called Beech-Nut. Fans loved the gum for its bold and fruity flavors, especially the burst of taste when it was first chewed. Its bright eye-catching packaging also caught the attention of customers for decades after it was first put on the market.
A spokesperson for Ferrara told CNN on Wednesday, "We considered many factors before coming to this decision, including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns — and overall brand trends for Fruit Stripe Gum."
Fans of the gum have started to seek out the remaining retailers that carry it, to purchase it before it's all gone.
The treat lasted through the decades and on into recent pop culture, even making its way into an episode of the animated series "Family Guy," in which Peter Griffin points out how it was known to pack a punch on the taste buds at the beginning, but the flavor quickly faded.
After its 1969 introduction to the public, the brand ended up being sold in a series of corporate mergers, finally ending with Ferrara, which is a unit of the Italian company Ferrero.
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