Finding Fruit Face – Another Mystery Solved!

As a confectionery brand historian and collector, one the most common inquiries I get are those that ask my assistance in identifying some product or brand from the hazy memories of that persons childhood.  I’m happy to get these requests as it’s always a fun challenge  and I’m proud to say that in the majority of cases I am able to provide the answers being sought.  One product that I’ve received a number of inquiries about over the years is one that I’m going to showcase today, that being Fruit Face.  Make the jump to check it out!

Fruit Face was produced in the 1980’s (possibly as early as the 70’s and as late as the 90’s) by World Candies, a company most well known as the main producer of candy cigarettes (now called candy sticks) over the decades.  Fruit Face was offered in a box and were pressed dextrose square-shaped tablets with small faces on each piece.  For whatever reason, the unique design, look and name combined in a way to make these really stick in people’s brains, prompting the many inquiries I’ve gotten about them through the years.

One of the other reasons I’ve gotten so many inquiries is likely because, before now, there were no official references to Fruit Face anywhere online, and there were certainly no photos or images of them.  So today, I get to put some history down and offer up not one, but TWO exclusive Fruit Face images!   It’s two images, as I own an example of the original Fruit Face box as well as the brand extension box for Tropical Fruit Face!

[Unfortunately, I’ve never come across a box with the unusual Fruit Face candy still intact inside it, as I would love to also show you what the candy looked like, but that quest continues.]

Now that my prelude is out of the way, here are the goods.  Please enjoy this exclusive (and first) look at these as you couldn’t see them anywhere else online before now!

World Candies – Fruit Face – 5/8 oz candy box – 1980’s

World Candies – Tropical Fruit Face – 5/8 oz candy box – late 1980’s

Hooray! From now on, when someone tries to remember what these were called or what they looked like, their Google search won’t come up empty anymore.

And that’s that – the only Fruit Face related pieces I’ve got in my archives, but ones I’m so excited to finally bring together and share.  Hope you dig ’em and if the hunt to put an image to your own faded memory brought you here, make sure to comment and share your memories of these odd-yet-memorable treats!

See you next time!

About Jason Liebig

A New York City based writer, editor and sometimes actor. After spending much of the 1990′s in the comic book business helping tell the stories of Marvel Comics’ X-Men as series editor, he has since split his time between developing his own entertainment properties while still consulting and working on others. Having been described as “the Indiana Jones of lost and forgotten candy”, Jason is one of the country’s premier candy collectors and historians with his discoveries appearing in countless blogs, magazines, newspaper articles, and books. Always happy to share his knowledge and unique perspectives on this colorful part of our popular culture, Jason has consulted with New York’s Museum of Food and Drink and has also been a featured guest on Food Network’s Heavyweights, France’s M6 Capital, and New York’s TheActionRoom.com. My Google Profile+
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52 Responses to Finding Fruit Face – Another Mystery Solved!

  1. Brandon says:

    That’s a fantastic find! I hadn’t heard of the brand either. The boxes remind me a bit of another candy called Winkies. I think they were made by a different company, though.

  2. Daniel angerson says:

    I’ve been looking for thease for years. I’ve told my wife about thease delicious tart yet sweet candies. She told me for years I was nuts. I’m 42 she’s 34. She just don’t remember but I sure do. I remember paying 10cents a box in 1984-85. You would get 3 strips that were breakable into 3 or 4 pieces per strip. 3 flavors per box. I remembered the box perfectly and I remember the contents perfectly. My only quest now is to find an unopened box or too. Maby even try one. Lol.

    • Melissa M Glass says:

      I have been trying to find these. I tell everyone they were my favorite. 5cents I would get 5 boxes with my quarter. Wish I could order some. My husband and kids thought I was nuts till now

    • Sharon Petroski says:

      I also have ben looking for these for years. My family and co- workers also think I am crazy. I even searched google and found nothing until today. I still haven’t been able to find these candies to purchase. I would so love to try them again.

    • Marshell Elder Key says:

      Yes, I kept mentioning this and no one could remember or would say “never heard of this candy. I was eating this candy and it was so delicious.

    • blaine lawson says:

      You took the words right out of my mouth. I used to get a pack or 2 before going to school every morning back in the day, along with other $.05 & $.10 candies to hold me thru classes. Like you, my wife has no recollection of these. She was a deprived child (lol!). I’m still trying to find the actual item. I want to taste them again. My search continues!

    • Lisa says:

      My fav was the grape ..candy was so soft and delicious

  3. Sue says:

    I think late 70s sounds right. I’m 51 and I clearly remember these from childhood. I loved them!

    • Batgirl McUnicorn says:

      I do believe they were made in the 70s because I’m 55 and they were one of my favorite candies, Somewhere in the late 80s was the last time I saw them there was one of the last remaining penny candy corner stores in Chicago and I sent the owner on a quest to find them for me I truly wish they still made those they were really quite tasty

  4. Debra Jimenez says:

    Omg I love Fruit faces and have been trying to show my son for years what they looked like. He’s 36 but doesn’t remember them but probably because I didn’t share mine just kidding but oh how I wish they were still available

  5. R J Grundy says:

    I remember the name, the packaging and in my mind, the taste of them is etched. Im 43 and I would give my right molar filling to taste these one more time!

  6. Shirley says:

    I remember these so well, A friend and I we’re talking and reminiscing about these candy’s, does anyone know if you can purchase these anywhere.

  7. Tom says:

    I don’t recall these. They may have been good, but anytime “fruit” was combined with candy, I was usually out.

  8. Karen says:

    YES! Thank you! Finally I can convince my family and friends I’m not imagining things. I loved these when I was little, but nobody else that I know remembered them. I tried may times to describe them but it didn’t ring a bell with anyone, not even for any of my brothers and sisters who I KNOW have eaten them in the past. I even tried my own research online, many times over, and found nothing until now. I have no idea how you got an image of a box after all this time, but at least this provides proof that I was not just making it up 🙂

    • Omg! Finally a picture! I too was in your same boat! Everyone would look at my like I was crazy when I brought it up. I loved fruit face. I can picture the box and candy and have been searching for years for a real picture! Everyone would say ‘are you sure that was the name?’! So cool to finally find a photo of this old time candy from the past! Thank you!!

  9. Katrina says:

    Where can I order some. Been looking for this for years.

    • Jason Liebig says:

      Sadly, Fruit Face has not been manufactured in a couple of decades at least.

      • Lily Lee says:

        For years, Ive been trying to remember the name of this candy that I was obsessed with as a kid. I would go to the corner candy store to buy it until they ran out back then. Trying to describe it to my husband was like difficult..this was like in tile form break apart candy.
        This Fruit Face is the one ! Too bad its discontinued
        …it should be part of the nostalgic collection of candies they still sell today. 🙁

  10. Brandon says:

    This just took me down memory lane. One of my favorite childhood candies. I’ve been telling my fiancée about these for years and can finally show her a picture to put with the name. I’m 35 and she’s 29

  11. Lynn says:

    Thank you! I’ve searched for these many times over the years.

  12. Dorothy D Lumpkins says:

    OMG, You are definitely correct. No one, I mean , No one has these images online. I am very happy that you could satisfy my childhood memory for this candy. I am 35 , but I remember my grandmother bringing these candy with her all the time. I purchased them maybe once as a kid at the local store. Then they disappeared. Thanks again

  13. Kathleen Wright says:

    Thank you soooo much for doing an article on Fruit Face candy. I used to love it and would buy it again if it would ever be manufactured again. And to see the box was great!

  14. Dina says:

    Thank you so much! I’ve been telling my kids about “Face Candy” for years!! Now I can show them it really was a thing. Even if you google it nothing comes up. There used to be a bulk candy store in Philadelphia my ex’s cousin used to get boxes for me. Wish we could still purchase this nostalgic candy.

  15. Enjoli Ruley-Yates says:

    Yesssss 49th st laundromat in West Philadelphia. I remember walking with my cousins to buy these. Finally someplace to reference the candy, I’ve been trying to get my cousins to remember the candy.

  16. Ronnie Sherman says:

    I’m 61 and remember buying these in grade school , St. Martin of Tours in Brooklyn in the 1960’s during our little break times…
    Loved em back then , would love to get hold of a box !!!

  17. Natalie Bersavage says:

    I wish we could still buy them, loved this candy as a kid. My daughter as well would still like to find some. They need to bring it back. Sitting here now I can remember how good they tasted.

  18. I really want to purchase some boxes of these . Please advise how I can make this happen.

  19. I really want to purchase some boxes of these . Please advise how I can make this happen. I absolutely loved this candy as a kid.

  20. Marie says:

    I would love too order them again they were my favorite candy when I was a little girl I wish they would sell them again

  21. Samantha Shaffer says:

    I would kill for one right now. Been talking about these since I was a kid and me my brother and beat friend are the only ones who remember. We want some so bad. That texture was so good and cherry was the best.

  22. Ralph says:

    Totally loved these…been looking for years, to no avail….I’d pay $10 for a box right now…

  23. Barbie Wilson says:

    Yes! I’ve been searching trying to show my husband too. But only because I still crave them. So soft so fruity, and such great texture, I remember 1 box was never enough! The last time I was able to buy them, was around 1994 in Buffalo New York. Hope that helps! Thankyou for your diligence and research!

  24. Chris says:

    Finally someone found them , I thought I was imagining them , people thought I was crazy!

  25. AL Baumeister says:

    Great story! I’ve been looking for this candy for years and have wondered what the hell happened to it. It’s awesome the you have a picture of the box. It has the ingredients on it. It’s funny as I’m looking through the ingredients I noticed one ingredient I’ve never heard of “Tragacanth” it is used both for diarrhea and constipation. It is also an ingredient in toothpastes, hand lotions, denture adhesives, and vaginal creams and jellies. In foods, tragacanth is important for stabilizing and thickening ingredients in salad dressings, foods, and beverages. That’s the definition of that ingredient. Who knew they tasted great and I couldn’t care less I still wish I could get a box. I wonder if someone could remake these just by having the ingredients? I’m sure a lot of people would still by them. Candy makers take note.

    • Aleah Phillips says:

      I would love to be assigned to quality control on that candy making venture. I remember the taste and texture. :’D

    • Melissa Nichelle says:

      Yes I talked about this candy for years and people looked at me like I was crazy. I use to get 4-8 packs from the corner store around the corner from Page street in North Philly. I would pay good money for some of these

  26. Aleah Phillips says:

    I miss those! Used to get them 10 cents a box at a store near my elementary school in the 80s. Tropical was my favorite. Nothing else tastes like them. I wish they would make them again. Sweet memories in Philly, PA.

  27. Aleah Phillips says:

    I would love to be assigned to quality control on that candy making venture. I remember the taste and texture. :’D

  28. Maggie says:

    I’ve been searching for these for about 20 years now. I remember the last time I used to buy them was back in 2000 when my son was a baby. I would go into a bodega and get a few of them for like 25 cents a box. It was like being in heaving eating these, They would just melt in your mouth! I’ve mentioned these candies to family members and even my husband but no one remembers. I would love for thfclmoany to make them again. I heard they were discontinued around that time, unfurtunately. I would pay $20 a box right about now!!! I’m 51 years old I would give anything to have Fruit Face Cándida back! I’m really curious as to why they discontinued them. Please, if someone has an answer, let me know.

  29. Katrina says:

    They need to bring these back asap….

  30. Dorothy C Lewis says:

    I am so glad I Googled this. I kept telling people the candy was called Funny Face. I absolutely LOVED them. I am 57 and used to buy them in the summers of ’75 and ’76. I was recently in a scent store and one of the salespeople sprayed a scent paper and the scent brought me right back to my childhood in Flushing, Queens. Thank you for confirming this favorite candy of mine when I was 11 & 12.

  31. John Jay says:

    In the late 60s Funny Face (which Fruit Face Face and artwork is based on was popular in Chicago. They tasted like nothing else . Each box had two sheets of perforated squares to break up and pop in your mouth. Now and then I run into people my age and when the talk turns to candy, Funny Face is shouted out with joy. Most of the time retro candy tastes very little like the original product. I’m sure the 80’s Fruit Face was different from Funny Face but when they reintroduced Wacky Wafers a few years ago in the large disc size- they got it right!!!✌✌✌

  32. becky says:

    Has anyone found a candy that taste like fruit face?

  33. Debi says:

    We’ve been married 35 years, and my husband has been talking about (and searching for) Fruit Face the entire time! He’s 56 and found this picture today and sent it to his sisters. They’re all going crazy thinking he found the candy FOR SALE! I’m laughing but also wishing I could manufacture this candy. Evidently, there’s still a market for it. Thanks for posting!

  34. Pimp Daddy Hustler Stack Money says:

    Fruit Face was one of the best candy ever invented! When I was a kid I would go to the candy store every day and buy boxes of them and never got tired of eating them. I to this day talk about them and my wife thinks I’m nuts because nobody else remembers them. I have Googled Fruit Face over the years and absolutely nothing would ever come up about them. It was literally like they never existed until you found them and wrote this post so thank you so much for verifying to my family that they were real. I’m 52 and still a candy addict to this day. I’m not even supposed to eat too much sugar but candy is too good to resist. If I could find these now I’d probably eat about 50 boxed in a row. Let’s all try to get a petition going to bring back Fruit Face and make the world a better place!

  35. blaine lawson says:

    You took the words right out of my mouth. I used to get a pack or 2 before going to school every morning back in the day, along with other $.05 & $.10 candies to hold me thru classes. Like you, my wife has no recollection of these. She was a deprived child (lol!). I’m still trying to find the actual item. I want to taste them again. My search continues!

  36. Kim Casey says:

    I am blown away. I have been talking about Fruit Faces and asking everyone if they remembered them. They all think I’m hallucinating lol! They tasted so good. I bought them in the late 70’s at a corner candy store after school frequently. I love that sweet sour chalky taste. I am so happy to see this! Thank you Jason, you made my day! Can’t wait to show my husband.

  37. Steven McFly says:

    THese came in strips close to the size of a strip of gum. They were about 2x thicker than a piece of standard gum at the time. But they were partially a chalky substance. Think candy cigarettes (candy, not the gum ones).

    They were about a half inch wide & about 3″-4″ tall. And flat.

    Each one had a tiny engraved slit horizontally about a half inch wide acorss & that sperated hte piece so it could easily be snapped into 3-4 IF I remember correctly. Pretty sure this was that candy. THEY WERE NOT INDIVIDUAL PIECES unless U snapped them free of each other. Gt like 4-5 strips per box.

    Each one was flavored like the basic fruits (Fruit Loops ish): Cherry, Grape, Lemon, Orange I believe.

  38. jack meyer says:

    hi i was shopping in Modells when i ran across miniature record jackets with pictures of singers on them with gum inside. it had to be about 1972 0r 1975 or so. i bought a couple for my jukebox . are they still being made ? i hope so. thanks, jack

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