Candy Thread -- With Pictures

[julienc]

Jun 2, 2008 9:22:13 GMT -5 colormist said:

Yup, Grape Laffy Taffy IS old Grape Tangy Taffy. They only changed the name, not the wrapper or shape. However, the grape Laffy Taffy in the rope and bite-size shapes is not the same flavor.

Oh wow, I'm going to have to find some of these. I only tried the small ones and just assumed it was all the same. My mouth is watering just thinking of the old Tangy Taffy!!

[sarahk]

I'm confused-I clicked on the amazon link for the cherry ones, and they listed "sugar" as one of the ingredients

[colormist]

Huh, that is interesting. I know there are two types of cherry, one is "Sparkle Jerry Cherry" and one is just "Jerry Cherry". The Sparkle version has sugar crystals. The non-sparkle version doesn't have the crystals, so it doesn't have sugar in it.* I don't know if this is just a flub on Amazon's (or whomever is selling them) half (presuming Sparkle and non-sparkle have the same ingredients).

If you're worried, you can alway go grape. Grape doesn't list sugar as an ingredient. I'm probably going to buy a box of non-sparkle later next week, so I can let you know for sure.

*I ate a non-sparkle one this morning. I previously bought the sparkle version and couldn't eat them due to the sugar crystals.

EDIT: Just emailed Amazon to see if they could figure it out. It looks like if you buy $35 worth of candy from Willy Wonka, you get a $15 discount. Like I need even more of a reason to buy taffy in bulk.

[CK]

I found some cherry laffy taffy today without sugar. Yeah! I was so excited. I think it will last some time because I am not used to something so chewy. My jaw got a good workout. It was good though and fun to have a treat.

[colormist]

My feedback was to be expected from Amazon. Customer Service doesn't have access to their distribution center, so they can't read the ingredients. Instead, they told me to submit an updated ingredients list to the feedback team. If it's correct, they'll update the Cherry Taffy listing.

Congrats on finding the good cherry taffy, CK!

[julienc]

Well, ironically enough I also found a bar of the cherry Laffy Taffy yesterday at this random gas station in town. It was soooooo yummy. I definitely need to buy in bulk, though, since one bar was around $1.20.

Laura, it looks like the Amazon deal is $15 off if you spend $39, which is a bummer since two boxes of taffy is $36. At least there is free shipping over $25.

[colormist]

I wonder if they have bulk banana runts or gobstoppers, too?

EDIT: GAH! Too many decisions!! Which to choose? Gobstoppers? Runts? Fun Dip? Spree? Giant Chewy Sweettarts? I'm drooling just trying to choose.

Ewwww... they have blue taffy now. The introduction of blue candy marks the steady decline in flavor. I just won't tolerate it.


EDIT2: Ha! Perfect formula. 48 pack of gobstoppers + cherry taffy = $42 ($27 total, with free shipping!)
But now, I have not grape taffy. Le-sigh.


EDIT3: My teeth are going to all rot out of my head. At least the taffy is soft.

[sarahk]

Mike: We've been looking for the laffy taffy in a store, but no luck yet-will check the bigger stores this weekend.

On a completely different note--Sarah bought Ethan (age 1) some cantaloupe from Trader Joe's--but the other day, when she fed it to him, he spit it out--she assumed he didn't want any. Well, that night I took a piece--no wonder he spit it out--it went bad-totally bitter. Sarah's all frustrated that she can't taste his food and he can't tell her the food is bad--well, not verbally.

Julie-any similar problems for you?

[julienc]

Jun 6, 2008 10:56:50 GMT -5 sarahk said:

On a completely different note--Sarah bought Ethan (age 1) some cantaloupe from Trader Joe's--but the other day, when she fed it to him, he spit it out--she assumed he didn't want any. Well, that night I took a piece--no wonder he spit it out--it went bad-totally bitter. Sarah's all frustrated that she can't taste his food and he can't tell her the food is bad--well, not verbally.

Julie-any similar problems for you?

Mike, I've had some similar incidences in the past, but my frustrations are a little different now since Wesley is more verbal. I get tired of making separate meals - mainly because the foods he likes that are quick and easy are things I can't eat. So then I end up making something different for myself. (This is mainly for lunches. We're more consistent with dinners.) Plus, I have very little variety in my diet, but I'd like to expose him to various things. I'm also an idiot when it comes to fruit - not knowing how to pick it out, what to do with it, what even looks good in the store, can't sample it to see how it tastes, etc. Similar to what Sarah was referring to.

Every now and then they'll have "Come eat lunch with your child" day at his daycare. My husband Michael usually goes to those since I can't eat anything that the school serves. Last time it was canned peaches and hot dogs. I'll probably go next time and just bring safe food for myself, but then that invariably gets into a series of questions and dialog that I often don't have the energy for - especially when the point is to spend time with the kids. Wesley wouldn't care, but...anyway, just a minor thing but a little frustrating.

Many of the moms here love to do small play groups at Chick-fil-A. (Fast food place that serves somewhat healthier food, for those who don't know this place.) The only thing on their menu that doesn't have sugar is waffle fries, so again, I'm packing my own lunch. Kind of annoying and time consuming.

This is all really minor stuff in the grand scheme of things, but it just gets a little frustrating over time.

[julienc]

I also meant to say that I ordered a box of grape taffy and a 48 pack of Bottle Caps from Amazon. What a deal! Free shipping and that extra $15 off!!!

I hope it comes soon!!!!

[toothfairy]

My question is is corn syrup safe?
I thought not but when I check Fun Dip, some of the Sweetarts, Gob-stoppers, and others have corn syrup now. Only the Sweetarts in the roll, Pixie Stixs, Smarties and Runts were without corn syrup. All the Laffy Taffy, Fun Dip, Nerds had it listed about the second or third ingredient.
Are some HFI'ers able to eat corn syrup in these candies OK? ?
I'm trying to gather enough different types of candy for Halloween to take to all the neighbors houses on our street. Then he can trick or treat with the other children and find plenty of goodies in his bag.

[colormist]

It depends. Corn Syrup can have fructose or it cannot. There is no mandate for the manufacturer to list whether or not it is High Fructose Corn Syrup or just plain Corn Syrup, so you run the risk trying the product yourself.

I'm pretty sure Nerds have HFCS, so stay away from those.

You also have to worry about the natural flavors that they put into the candy. Sometimes the natural flavors are fruit flavors, which are a no-no.

[billiejh]

HI, just wondering if the pure corn syrup without fructose is the same as glucose syrup? If not then what sugar is the pure corn syrup? Also, I have been making little cookies for my daughter with rice flour, cornstarch, a vegan margerine, and pure dextrose powder from an apothecary here. (Kind of like a shortbread) She seems to love the taste of the dextrose, and even the corn starch, as I think the cookies taste a little corn starchy, but she loves them. She eats two every morning, as soon as she gets up. My question is, can there be any problem for her teeth, letting her eat these cookies every day, does anyone know if the dextrose does anything to teeth?

[toothfairy]

Dextrose is not any worse than sugar. Let her eat those cookies, they are good for her. The brain must have sugar to function clearly. A HFI diet can be lacking sometimes in something the body really needs. They are not diabetic, they need the fuel to run, play and think more than adults. Children are just more active. .Just see she brushes and flosses her teeth like normal. Fact: HFI children don't have as many dental problems as a non HFI'er. They are known for good teeth.
If your water doesn't have fluoride then buy an OTC rinse and use it.

[David]

I would begin with the simplest tests, that in fact, use urine:
"Based on the thorough dietary history of a sick child, the most straightforward approach to diagnosis is to demonstrate the presence of a non–glucose-reducing sugar in the urine. This is readily accomplished with Clinitest. Then, if test results are positive, thin-layer chromatographic separation should be used for confirmation"

www.emedicine.com/ped/topic988.htm

[David]

Different kinds of Corn Syrups and contents in some foods

www.corn.org/NSFC2006.pdf

Kind of technical but it is possible to find which contain fructose and in which food it is added.

Dextrose is another name for glucose.

"Sugar" usually is refered to "table sugar" or sucrose. Sucrose is not good for HFI since Sucrose is formed by glucose and Fructose.

Avoid Sucrose, avoid fructose.

To make it clear, the problem is not the glucose in table sugar, but the fructose table sugar contains.

(I know that most of you know it, but I feel that some persons have some kind of confussion about this issue, so I prefered the sin of repetition to the sin of omission)

I would suggest to consult an experimented dietician (I am not even a dietician in case of doubts about using some foods.

[colormist]

So, bad news. My brother confirmed it. Willy Wonka pulled a fast one on us again. I'm really tired of this and am very close to writing a letter (laziness prohibits me from doing so).

Cherry Laffy Taffy and Grape Laffy Taffy have changed flavors. I noticed it with my second order from Amazon. Candy from the gas station and Sam's Club all tasted similarly. I think they added/amended natural fruit flavors.

My brother came up to visit in January and had bought a LOT of cherry taffy. (Five I think--they're really hard to come by.) He said he ate one bite and made a face. Then, of course, he was depressed. He still ate the rest of them later, but was quite depressed about it. He's not too good on his diet, so I wouldn't recommend this.

They also changed the flavors of the Giant Chewy Sweettarts. I didn't realize this until I bought a box at Sam's Club.

So bummed. If I knew Willy Wonka would do something for sure about it, I would totally write them. But I don't think it'll help. I think we're down to Runts, Gobstoppers, Bottle Caps, and Pixy Stix now (Wonka Candy).

[flutterby]

Aren't smarties still ok?

[colormist]

Hey Fred,
Sweettarts tend to make me sick (everything except yellow and orange anyway). You do okay with them?? I wonder if there's a difference between how they're made in different countries?

Sorry Flutterbye! I was referring to wonka candies. Smarties (aka Rockets) are still a-okay. I don't think they've changed their formula in the 75 years they've been around.

[CK]

I've been ok eating the Wonka Fun Dip white stick. I don't like the powder that comes with it, so I just eat the fun stick.