A Review of the Gummy Bear History

Are Gummy Bears bad for you?

Review of the Gummy Bear History

MarieSol German

English 101, Section E

Huffman

May 10, 2012

Can Gummy Bears be bad for you?

A review of the Gummy Bear History

Have you ever wondered where the delicious gummy candy ever came from? Not even as a child did I ever think about where a gummy bear came from, although it would be very interesting to find out the history of these delicious gummy bears. I remember taking a good look at a gummy bear, bringing it close to my eyes and noticing the details of the bear's fur and the eyes it had such a happy face. I started to wonder how gummy bears are made exactly. Was there a mold they used to make the bear and why the idea of a bear? Why not a dog or another animal what made the creator pick a bear? So I began to wonder where the gummy treat might have originated. Can eating too much be bad for your health? What are the nutritional facts on a gummy bear? These are questions I have never asked myself about a gummy bear. So I begin my journey into finding out the fun facts about the history, nutritional facts and if eating too many is bad for your health. I would only think gummy bears were bad for your teeth but overall health.

Where does the Gummy Bear come from?

The gummy bear originated from Germany, it was known as Gummibar, meaning "rubber bear." The poppa bear of these delicious gummy bears was Hans Riegel. In December 1920, at the age of 27, Hans decided he wanted to start his own candy company. He decided to name his company Haribo, an acronym for Hans Riegal Bonn. Hans was married to Gertrude and they both noticed that the gelatin candy was growing in popularity. This is when they tried to think of an idea that all the children would love. They came up with the idea of a "dancing bear," since a dancing bear was popular in that time. The children fell in love with the candy bears. In the beginning, Gertrude delivered the candies to shops around town on her bike. In 1923, the gummy bear was so popular that Haribo grew quickly and they invested into a car. Along with the gummi bears, other candies were made at the company. For many years, gummy bears were imported to America. American high school students were among the first Americans to know about the gummy bear. They learned about the candy through their German classes. Their teachers would bring in samples of the gummy treat and the demand for the gummy bears grew. However, WWII nearly destroyed Haribo. Supplies needed to make the gummy