The History of Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot

Going down memory lane, nothing is quite like the 90s with our favorite fruit snacks like Gushers, Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups. Have you ever wondered how snacks like that even became a thing? Well, fun fact, they actually started as a fruit filling for cakes in 1975. 

General Mills fruit snacks have delighted consumers for decades. In 1975, General Mills’ Research and Development team developed the filling for a cake mix which eventually, after tests and revisions, debuted as Fruit Roll-Ups in 1979. Do you remember when these had tattoos for your tongue?

In 1992, Gushers arrived and became the innovative fruit snack because of its juicy liquid center surprise with every bite. The fandom grew when advertisements left an iconic stamp on the minds of adults and youth alike, particularly the iconic advert where heads turned into fruit. 

Throughout the 90s, Gushers made its way into pop culture through partnerships with Jurassic Park, Nickelodeon, the Goosebumps series and more. I remember my sister loved Gushers as a kid and I simply couldn’t understand where the red juicy center was coming from.

Fruit by the Foot also made its debut in the 90s and was a hit for its long rolls of wild flavors and colors. I literally used to eat these while sitting in front of the television after school, separating the fruit snack and the paper, bite by bite.

Today, General Mills is the largest manufacturer in the fruit snacks category and continues to lead category growth. The brand’s fruit snack portfolio includes Annie’s, Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, Mott’s, Kid Equity Shapes and Gushers.  

Now, nearly three decades later, General Mills is ushering in a new era of fruit snacks… in the Metaverse. Gushers recently dropped a limited-edition designer sneaker — available exclusively in the metaverse.