Pop Rocks

Book excerpt: William A. (Bill) Mitchell invented Pop Rocks Crackling Candy in 1956 as an attempt to create an instant carbonated drink. The fruit-flavored candy contained entrapped bubbles of carbon dioxide, which when released created tiny explosions with sound effects. As a research chemist at General Foods during the Pop Rocks heyday, Marvin J. Rudolph led a group assigned to bring Pop Rocks out of the laboratory and into the manufacturing plant. During that time, he was awarded six US patents based on Pop Rock production improvements, and one for Increda-Bubble, a popping bubble gum. Drawing on interviews with food technologists, engineers, marketing managers, and members of Bill Mitchell's family, Rudolph takes readers from the day Pop Rocks were invented to the present day.