New Yorkers Say Farewell to Nostalgic Fruit Stripe Gum

You probably have memories of chewing on Fruit Stripe gum and laughing at the wacky zebra mascot. You would lick the wrapper then stick it to your skin to get your fake tattoo.

Get our free mobile app

Unfortunately, I have have some sad news because a piece of your childhood is going away. According to the manufacturer, Ferrara Candy, Fruit Stripe gum is being discontinued.

Ferrara Candy confirmed the sad news saying that they had to make the difficult decision to stop making Fruit Stripe Gum. If you're a diehard fan, you might be able to still find the gum in some stores, but once the supply is gone...it's gone.

Fans of Fruit Stripe have noticed that it's been harder to find on store shelves Some consumers even let their feelings known on Reddit on an r/Candy subreddit, with one person confessing their attempt to find it in local stores hasn't panned out.

The official word of Fruit Stripe gum's fate first came from OldTimeCandy.com. The website posted that it was sad at the discontinuation and confirmed the news after a conversation with a Ferrara customer service representative. Fruit Stripe gum was introduced in the late 1960s by James Parker and changed hands through the years has finally met its end.

Fruit Stripe Gum Sales Had Increased

Surprisingly, sales of Fruit Stripe gum increased by 4.5% in 2021, according to Greg Guidotti, the General Manager of the Sugar Portfolio at Ferrara Candy Company. So it's a little surprising that the company has decided to stop selling it.

Fruit Stripe gum became popular over the years, with the help of the zebra mascot named Yipes and the catchy slogan, "Yipes! Stripes!" The tagline and character were a part of our Saturday morning cartoon routine and this is how we find out about the gum to begin with.

The zebra even got attention on Jeopardy! when contestants were asked to identify the animal behind the catchy catchphrase. It's sad to see a piece of our childhood fade away with so many other things that we loved.