Fruit Stripe Gum is retiring after 50 years of delighting gum chewers. Manufacturer Ferrara Candy Company announced the gum's demise this week.
We have made the difficult decision to sunset Fruit Stripe Gum, but consumers may still be able to find product at select retailers
nationwide," the business told The Takeout. Ferrara said this move "was not taken lightly," and "we considered many
factors before coming to this decision, including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns."
Fruit Stripe Gum debuted in 1969 in five fruity flavors: Wet n' Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange, and Peach Smash.
Each package featured temporary tattoos of Yipes the Zebra, the gum's mascot. All gum flavors were striped like Yipes.
According to The Takeout, a Fruit Stripe enthusiast posted a Reddit thread about the product's withdrawal before Ferrara verified it.
"I was a bit confused when it began disappearing from my regular places I would buy it like Walgreens and Walmart," the Reddit user
remarked last week. They then connected to OldTimeCandy.com, which announced the gum's discontinuance, and a Ferrara "chat agent" confirmed it.
Fruit Stripe aficionados have mourned the 54-year-old gum's departure on social media since its announcement.