Midget Gems
Gelatine, sugar, citric acid , fruit flavouring |
Midget Gems (also known as Mini Gems) are chewy, firm sweets similar to wine gums but much harder. They are manufactured from sugar and glucose syrup, corn starch and/or various other starches, animal gelatin, and various colourings and flavouring.
Midget Gems were extremely popular in the
A leading selling point for Midget Gems is that they were often sold loose from a jar or barrel. This made them inexpensive and helped bolster their popularity.[2]
Midget Gems are produced by a wide variety of other companies. Glisten Confectionery manufacture them under their Victoria brand, and in 2007 announced that they were removing all artificial colours and flavourings from the sweets.
The sweet is so popular that
Midget Gems are now sold in wide variety of colours and flavours, adding to the choices consumers have when purchasing them.
In January 2022, Marks and Spencer announced their plan to change the name of their sweet to 'Mini gems', after a campaign by Liverpool Hope University academic Dr. Erin Pritchard who complained the word 'midget', considering its origin in a Victorian freak show which exploited disabled people, was offensive to people with dwarfism.[8] The reaction on social media was mixed. Tesco and Maynards Bassetts followed suit later that year[9][10][11] with other brands starting to follow suit in the following months and years.
See also
- DOTS
- Grether's Pastilles
- Gumdrop
- Gummies
- Jelly baby
- Jelly bean
- Jujube
- Jujyfruits
- Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles
- Swedish Fish
- Wine gum
References
- Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 11 April 2005.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Victoria sweets remove artificial colours". Talking Retail. 7 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
- ^ "Confirmed sighting: Asda Smart Price Midget Gems". snackspot.org.uk. 10 January 2008.
- ^ "Tesco Midget Gems Review". DooYoo. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
- Liverpool Football Club. Archived from the originalon 15 September 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
- ^ "Space dust!". BBC Lancashire. 21 March 2006.
- BBC News website. 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Tesco Mini Gems 200G". Tesco. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Midget Gems: Bassetts agree to 'Mini Gems' rebrand following Liverpool academic's campaign". Liverpool World. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "MAYNARDS BASSETTS MINI GEMS 160G (BOX OF 12)". Cadbury Gifts. Retrieved 11 October 2022.