Supermarket shoppers have been left reeling from news that an iconic Australian lolly has been quietly discontinued in stores across the country.
It’s been revealed that Juicy Fruit chewing gum – which has been on sale in Australia for 131 years – has been removed from sale.
In claims aired on 2GB’s Ben Fordham program, it was revealed that Juicy Fruit is undergoing a major overhaul and will not appear in stores until later in the year, and in an entirely new format.
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An insider who works at the factory which produces Juicy Fruit told Fordham the original recipe has now been discontinued and, when the chewing gum returns in mid-2024, it will be sugar-free and will no longer have its famous hard shell.
A spokesman for Mars Wrigley confirmed that there are changes ahead for Juicy Fruit.
“We are currently working on an exciting new development for this range that will be available to Australian consumers from June this year,” the spokesperson told 2GB.
“While we’re working on this development, there may be stock shortages experienced in some areas of the country and we sincerely apologise to consumers for any inconvenience caused.”
7NEWS.com.au has approached Mars Wrigley for further comment.
TikTok star RussEats told the radio station that it was a sad day for many Australians who grew up with Juicy Fruit.
“To put it in perspective, humans got Juicy Fruit before the radio in the Ford car,” he said.
He added: “The thing is, the people that want that original Juicy Fruit, they don’t want it sugar-free. Die-hard Juicy Fruiters don’t want sugar-free, that’s my opinion.”
