Dietribes: Halloween Candy

• 9 billion kernels of candy corn are manufactured for each Halloween, but they don't all end up in snack packs or bowls. Some show up in Hershey Kisses, jack o’ lanterns, even all-you-can-eat Halloween pancakes at IHOP and soda flavoring.
 
• But enough of all that, how is candy corn made?
 
• Consumers may spend $20.29 on candy per household for the estimated 36 million trick-or-treaters coming to their door, but over the course of the year Americans will eat up almost 24.3 pounds of candy!
 
• Flossers who were trick-or-treating in the early 90s (like myself) may recall the advent of the "minis" (one bite, as opposed to the two-bite fun size introduced by Mars in the late 1950s). Before that, 'Candy bars were available in only one size until the late 1950's,' said Hans Fiuczynski, a spokesman for M & M/Mars. 'They were like the Model T: you could have it in any size you wanted as long as it was the standard size.'

• CandyUSA.com's statistics show that the majority (52%) of those providing treats to costumed kiddies will be passing out chocolate, while three?in?ten will drop hard candy or lollipops into the sacks. About 26% of households will include full-size candy (chocolate and non-chocolate) in their Halloween activities. Kids say (unsurprisingly) that they prefer anything made with chocolate (68%) followed by lollipops (9%), gummy candy (7%) and bubble gum or chewing gum (7%)

• For those looking to strategize their candy map, according to a Hershey's survey, houses with black shutters are 77 percent more likely to hand out Kit Kat Wafer Bars while ranch houses look the other way when it comes to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. If you're looking for a Reese's, two-story houses offer a 26 percent greater chance of success. And homes with brown doors tend to hand out, with 32% greater frequency, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars.

• If you have lots of chocolate candy left over (as if!), you can always make a leftover candy pie.

• Need more sugar? Here are a few vintage mental_floss posts about Halloween and candy.

• What were (are?) your favorite Halloween candies, Flossers? And when you came home did you sort, stash, swap or eat all of your candy? (I was a sorter - chocolate got eaten first ... in moderation, thanks Mom ... the rest was stowed and consumed over the remainder of the year)!

Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.

‘Dietribes’ appears every other Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna Beyenbach. You might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.