Product Code Database
Peeps are a marshmallow confection produced by candy maker Just Born since 1953 for sale the United States and Canada in the shape of chicks, bunnies, and other animals, as well as holidays shapes, with themes revolving around Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. Peeps were the earlier creation of the R. E. Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster, PA, and were offered for sale as early as 1948.
Long promoted primarily at Easter, Peeps have subsequently been marketed as "Always in Season", and have expanded to Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day. Since 2014 the confection has been available year-round with the introduction of Peeps Minis.
Peeps ingredients include sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, food dyes and salt.
By the 1930s-40s, its products included chocolates, hard candies, jelly beans and "jelly eggs". It is uncertain when manufacture of marshmallow items began, but by 1948—and previous to any association of the product with Sam Born or Just Born—Pennsylvania retailers were selling "Rodda marshmallow peeps" "Shuman's Cut Rate Store—With Everything For Easter". Gettysburg Times, 12 March 1948, 2 ("Rodda Marshmallow Peeps") or "Rodda Easter peeps"."Grand Union is Tops at Keeping Prices Low" (advertisement). The Times-Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), 3 April 1952, 18 ("Rodda Easter Peeps")."A&P Super Markets" (advertisement). The Express (Lock Haven, Pennsylvania), 10 April 1952, 15 ("Rodda Peeps—sugar coated marshmallow 'peeps'").
Though Just Born took over manufacture in 1953 and developed speedy, mechanized production, the product was retailed nationally for decades in the U.S. as "Rodda Marshmallow Peeps" or "Rodda Easter Peeps", retaining the Rodda name into the mid-1990s."Tinker's Bigg and Little" (advertisement, Stockton (CA) Record, 8 April 1963, 24 ("Rodda Easter Peeps—Candy Bunnies and Chicks")."Gibson's Discount Center" (advertisement). The Sunday News and Tribune (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 March 1970, 12 ("Rodda Marshmallow Peeps and Rabbits")."Eckerd Easter Savings" (advertisement). Galveston Daily News, 15 April 1981, 10 ("Rodda Peeps or Bunnies")."Bargains in Bloom" (Valu-Rite Pharmacy advertisement). Indiana (PA) Gazette, 27 March 1996, 11 ("Rodda© Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies").
In 1953, Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company and its marshmallow chick line. Sam's son, Bob Born, replaced the painstaking process of hand-forming the chicks with mass production in 1954. When founder Sam Born displayed a sign for his freshly made candy, he titled it "Just Born", playing off of his last name and the fact that he made his candy fresh daily. According to Mary Bellis, the newly purchased company, Just Born, was soon the "largest marshmallow candy manufacturer in the world".
Just Born began producing other shapes in the 1960s, following seasonal themes. Twenty years later, the Marshmallow Peeps Bunny was released as a popular year-round shape of the candy. The yellow chicks were the original form of the candy — hence their name — but then the company introduced other colors and, eventually, the myriad shapes that are now produced. Peeps were manufactured in different colors, such as lavender starting in 1995 and blue in 1998. Prior to that, they were only being produced in the traditional colors: yellow, pink and white. New flavors such as vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate were introduced between the years of 1999 and 2002. In 2003, the Peeps Fun Bus conducted a tour across the country to promote the brand. The tour included giveaways and games and was decorated with a giant Peep on the top of the bus.
In 2009, Just Born expanded the Peeps product line further by introducing Peeps Lip Balm in four flavors: grape, strawberry, vanilla, and cotton candy. Just Born has come out with several other various accessories. Items such as nail polish, wrist bands, umbrellas, plush toys, golf gloves, earrings, and necklaces are produced and sold online and in retail stores. Other companies have produced items based on the popular Peeps candy. Peeps micro bead pillows were made by Kaboodle and conform to one's shape. The company Kaboodle promises that "they'll last a lot longer than their edible counterpart!" Ranging from infant sizes to adult sizes, Peeps Halloween costumes can also be found on the shelves of several costume stores. The first Peeps & Co. store opened in November 2009 in National Harbor, Maryland, Prince George's County. Peeps & Company retail stores were later opened in Minnesota (as of 2019, shut down due to low profits) and Pennsylvania. In 2014, Peeps Minis were introduced, and were intended to be available year-round.
In 2023, Bob Born, a son of the Just Born founder, died at age 98. He was known as the "Father of Peeps" for automating the production of Peeps.
The Racine Art Museum holds the Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition each April.Koman, Tess. "Why a Renowned Wisconsin Museum Hosts a Giant Peeps Art Contest Every Year", Delish, March 25, 2021. Anyone can enter the contest, centered on the theme "peep-powered work of art".
The following are other contests held in various states. Peeps jousting consists of putting two Marshmallow Chicks into the microwave and seeing which one gets the biggest and therefore affects/deforms the other. "Peepza" is a dessert pizza made with Peeps. Also, blogs were created according to Fox News entitled "101 Fun Ways to Torture a Peep."
This debate featured in an episode of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle ("Traffic Jam"), in which Francis, insisting the "Quacks" (as they were called) would dissolve in his stomach rather than expand, takes up the dare to eat 100 of them and does so, but gets very sick in the process.
When exposed to air, marshmallow dehydrates and becomes "stale" and slightly crunchy. According to Just Born, 25%–30% of their customers prefer eating Peeps stale.
Peeps can also be used as a marshmallow topper for hot chocolate.
A recipe for "Peepshi" involves placing a Peep onto a Rice Krispie Treat and wrapping it in a Fruit by the Foot, to create a single "Peepshi roll" in the style of a Sushi.
In April 2017, several internet and Twitter postings, and TV news stories claimed 'outrage' that Peeps were being used as a pizza topping.
In March 2021, Just Born and Pepsico (maker of Pepsi products) announced a "limited edition" of "Peeps marshmallow cola" soft drinks.
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