SweetTarts are sweet and sourcandies invented under the direction of Menlo F. Smith, CEO of Sunline Inc., in 1962. The candy was created using the same basic recipe as the already popular Pixy Stix and Lik-M-Aidproducts in order to broaden the market for the tangy taste sensation. In 1963, SweeTarts were introduced with the same flavors as the popular Pixy Stix: cherry, grape, lemon, lime, and orange. In 1966 a candy coated version of SweeTarts was introduced with the brand name Spree. Taffy products are also produced with the SweeTarts brand. Sunline, Inc., became a division of the Sunmark of St Louis' group of companies, which was later acquired in 1986 by Rowntree Mackintosh of the United Kingdom, which was, in turn, taken over by Nestlé. The Willy Wonka brand candies were developed by Sunmark in a joint-venture with The Quaker Company. Sunmark eventually acquired the rights to Willy Wonka and established a division with that name which produced the Willy Wonka brands. The Wonka symbol was subsequently applied to most Sunmark brands. Nestlé has since sold its confectionery businesses to Ferrero SpA.
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SweeTarts also come in a variety of other products including gum, little Sweet Tarts, SweeTart "hearts" for Valentine's Day, "chicks, ducks and bunnies" shaped Sweet Tarts for Easter and SweeTarts Jelly Beans, "skulls and bones" for Halloween, and Giant Chewy Sweet Tarts, which are a larger, chewier variant of SweeTarts that come four to a package, and are the size of a silver dollar and ¼ inch thick. The Giant Chewy SweeTarts have also retained the orange flavour discontinued in the standard SweeTarts products, as have the Mini Chewy SweeTarts variety. SweeTarts Soft & Chewy Ropes are available in Cherry Punch flavor, and were originally named Kazoozles.
In 2002, Nestlé replaced the original lime with green apple. In 2009, Nestlé stopped making lemon, but put it back into the lineup of flavors in 2013. The current flavors in the SweeTarts roll are: blue punch, cherry, grape, lemon and green apple. Retired flavors include lime and orange.
