\nThe history of lollipops, particularly in the US, is a little skewed. Archeologists believe some version of the sweet treat may have been created hundreds of years ago. However, it was only within the last hundred years that a feature was added, making the stick hollow. However, many wonder why this may be. It turns out there are two main reasons.\n
Sugar was once a rare commodity. Therefore, people had to be creative in order to enjoy sweet treats like lollipops or gummies. It is believed that before the 17th century, places like Egypt and China made varying nut and fruit concoctions. They then added honey for preservation and a touch of sweetness. Next, sticks were added to make them easier to eat. These examples are some of the earliest recorded variations of today\u2019s confection.\n
\n
After the 17th century, sugar became more readily available. Thus, countries like Britain began boiling sugar and adding sticks to make lollipops. Although there is some speculation regarding lollipops in the US, George Smith claimed to \u201cinvent modern style\u201d lollipops in the early 1800s. The man from New Haven, Connecticut, thought that adding sticks to candy would make it easier to eat. Interestingly, at the time candy was soft or chewy, rather than hard candy.\n
Another hundred years would pass before lollipops, and their production would see another reboot. In 1908 Racine Confectionary Machine Co. introduced an automated lollipop production machine. The machine allowed for around 4,200 lollipops with sticks to be made per hour. However, a few years later, Samuel Born invented a similar machine known as the \u201cBorn Sucker Machine.\u201d He was awarded the keys to the city of San Fransisco for his \u201cinnovation.\u201d It differed from previous models because it inserted sticks into the candy rather than on the end of a stick.\n
Variations of lollipops have been around for centuries. Some were made with fruits and nuts, others pure sugar, and eventually, most also had added and artificial flavors. Sometimes, lollipops even added dyes to make the candy more aesthetically pleasing for children. Over the last few decades, one thing has changed about the packaging for lollipops. Some lollipops, like Tootsie Pop and Dum Dums, had solid paper sticks. While better for the environment than their plastic counterparts, the paper sticks, to some extent, actually inhibited consumers\u2019 ability to enjoy the product.\n
In contrast, manufacturers of Chupa Chups have been making lollipops since 1958. Originally producing only seven flavors, today, the international company now sells more than 100 flavors to more than 150 countries worldwide. They knew something that other candy makers were yet to find out. Their lollipops have been made using hollow sticks with holes at the top, serving two purposes.\n
The first reason lollipops are now made with hollow sticks is that the little square at the top allows candy makers to \u201canchor\u201d the candy down.\n
Because lollipops are made with those convenient sticks, they paint a picture that they\u2019re intended for consumption on the go. While they do make things easier, they\u2019re also considered a choking hazard. Children may accidentally swallow them while running, although it\u2019s never advised to let a child do anything but sit while consuming food, drinks, snacks, or candy. However, just because it\u2019s not advisable doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t happen. As a result, numerous children suffered from death or injury as a result of either careless eating or over-excitement.\n
On the other hand, the hollow sticks prevent airflow from being obstructed in case of accidental swallowing. For example, in 2020, a 4-year-old boy from Texas was taken to the hospital after accidentally swallowing a lollipop stick. Although the plastic hollow stick had to be removed through surgery, his airways remained open enough that he didn\u2019t choke to death before getting help.\n
In addition to environmental impacts, another downside to plastic hollow sticks is that they, too, can cause injury. For children or adults with sensitive gums or teeth, the plastic ends can cause minor cuts along the gums and roof of the mouth. Arguably, a small price to pay, when the cost could be a life instead.\n
Unsurprisingly, lollipops aren\u2019t the only consumer product with this feature. Pen caps were once considered a severe choking hazard. Subsequently, manufacturers used a concept similar to candy makers. Ultimately, making a hollow pen cap with a hole at the end.\n
Lollipops and other sweet treats have changed significantly over the course of human history. People are adaptable and always on the hunt for the next big thing. Therefore, it\u2019s not unlikely that we\u2019ll continue to see candy and other foods evolve over time to address health or safety concerns. With that in mind, it\u2019s interesting to see innovation and creativity come to life from generation to generation.\n
Sources The history of lollipops, particularly in the US, is a little skewed. Archeologists believe some version of the sweet treat may have been created hundreds of years ago. However, it was only within the last hundred years that a feature was added, making the stick hollow. However, many wonder why this may be. It turns\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,670],"tags":[857],"class_list":{"0":"post-93204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-life-hacks","8":"category-news","9":"tag-hometips-lifehacks-health-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lollipop-stick.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93208,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93204\/revisions\/93208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cThe real reason there\u2019s a hole at the end of your Chupa Chups stick. Better Homes and Gardens. July 5, 2021.
\n\u201cOur Story.\u201d Chupa Chups
\n\u201cTHE HISTORY OF LOLLIPOP.\u201d Old Time Candy August 26, 2022
\n\u201cThe Real Reason Lollipop Sticks Are Hollow.\u201d Mashed. James Lewis. April 9, 2022
\n\u201cWhy Are Lollipop Sticks Hollow? This Is the Answer. Reader\u2019s Digest. Melany Love. August 17, 2022.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"