Brachs Ruled the World

It used to be that the only Jelly Beans around were Brachs and maybe a store brand and they all came in normal flavors – except for licorice – licorice is just not normal. Luckily my mom would get rid of all the licorice ones before they tainted the other colors. But now I found EIGHT kinds of jelly beans shopping at Ralphs with some seriously interesting flavors like orchard fruit, Jolly Rancher, Starburst and Lifesavers.

I couldn’t participate in the taste test as part of my no sugar anti-diabetes diet – but it was just as fun watching how people approached the task – tasting one color only from each sample or tasting 2 or just winging it; some people lined up perfect little rows of jelly beans on the test paper and there was lots of discussion and debate – far more than with the ham taste testing!!

The Taste Test

1. Brach’s Orchard Fruit Jelly Beans
This was a mixed bag with 3 people rating it well, 2 people rating it average and 1 person hating it (Yuck! straight up bad sugar flavor); one person noted it tasted like sugar Koolaid flavor. It ranked 4th out of the 8 flavors. This one actually had the most chemicals and dyes in it.

2. Kroger Jelly Beans Assorted
2 people had this one in their top 3 (reminding one of them of the classic jelly bean) while the others thought the taste was either not there or not good or weird. This one ranked 5th out of the 8 flavors.

3. Starburst Jellybeans Tropical
No one ranked this in their top 3 and no one thought it tasted good with comments like “tasted scary”, “odd flavor” and “grainy”. Apparently tropical flavors were not a big hit with this one ranking 6th out of 8.

4. LifeSavers Jellybeans Candy Pastels
But the pastels win the prize for the WORST jelly bean. Everyone rated this in their bottom two and hated the taste with comments like “flavor was gross”, “no identifiable flavor”, “awful”, “not good at all”, “icky aftertaste” and “grassy taste”. I guess it wouldn’t be a proper easter egg without the grassy taste. One person gave it a 0 on a scale of 1-10. Needless to say, this one ranked the lowest. I’m almost glad I didn’t participate.

5. Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans Original Flavor
This one rated really well with 4 people placing it in their top 3 and 2 people rating it average. People noted a good flavor and texture but apparently you get a burst of flavor at the end with one person saying “strong flavor comes out after chewing most of it” and another stating “soury at the end”. Consider yourself forewarned. This one ranked 2nd out of 8.

6. Russell Stover Pectin Jelly Beans
This one didn’t fare very well. Only one person rated it in their top 3; 3 people gave it an average rating and 2 people had it in their bottom 3. People noted it tasted very sugary without any particular flavor, one noted an “odd taste”, and one person stated “not good”. This one ranked 7th out of 8.

7. Brach’s Classic Jelly Bird Eggs
This one did well, 2 people noted their recognition of the classic jelly bean we all grew up with – one person stated: “Tastes like Easter to me!” Most people noted the sugary flavor with little taste difference amongst the colors. And one person noted it was bigger than all the other jelly beans. This one ranked 3rd out of 8.

8. Starburst Jellybeans Original
This one was the clear winner in terms of taste – it ranked 1st out of 8. Everyone ranked it in their top 3. People noted the good flavor, distinctive/vibrant taste.

How Jelly Beans Are Made

When you get to the ingredients below and you are wondering why they all use corn startch – this great video shows how they are made – it’s really interesting! Don’t worry no chemical bad stuff outlined in the video; that part is outlined below under Chemical Rainbow!

The Ingredients

The Chemical Rainbow

Titanium Dioxide
According to Wikipedia and other sources, Titanium Dioxide:

is widely used to provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, plastics, papers, inks, foods, and toothpastes. It is also used in cosmetic and skin care products, and it is present in almost every sunblock, where it helps protect the skin from ultraviolet light.

TOOTHPASTE? I have a whitening toothpaste – and toothpaste does NOT have to have ingredients listed. But I just looked and never saw this warning before:

“If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How much is “more than used for brushing”???? Are they using significant amounts of it in toothpaste? The real question is – what if someone eats significant amounts of jelly beans????

Titanium Dioxide is mined and used as a source for industrial titanium. The titanium is chemically processed to be used in foods. It has been shown to have carcinogenic properties and causes lung cancer in rats exposed to high concentrations and workers that may be exposed to it by inhaling i.e. paint workers, are at risk.

There is also concern for titanium dioxide when it’s ground into smaller nanoparticles and easily absorbed into your skin as with sun blocks. The European Union has banned Titanium Dioxide for use in sunscreens because of risk of DNA damage and other cellular damage. Research continues and while many sources say there are no harmful effects, other researchers conclude that the studies have not gone on long enough to determine long-term effects.

5 of the 8 jelly bean brands had Titanium Dioxide in them. Only the Brach’s Classic, Russell Stover, and Jolly Rancher do NOT use it.

The Dyes
We’ve talked before about the problems that dyes can cause (ADD/ADHD, allergic reactions, potentially carcinogenic) but I guess it’s a little hard to avoid them in jelly beans. All of them use dyes, although some use more than others. The worst offender was Brach’s Orchard with 9 different food dyes used. Lifesavers used the least – with just 3.

Vitamins
Does anyone think it’s weird that Brach’s Orchard Fruit jelly beans has vitamins added?

The Winner

Well – it’s time to stick with the classics. Our favorite jelly bean growing up has also stuck with a classic recipe; Brach’s Classic Jelly Bird Eggs may not have the super flavor variation but it also is the only one that does not have any of these either: no modified ingredients (modified corn starch/food starch) no chemical preservatives (sodium citrate or lactate), and no titanium dioxide!

For Your Viewing Pleasure