The Unfortunate Reason Life Savers Holes Were Discontinued Too Soon

Some candies are simply iconic. What would PEZ be without its somewhat tricky to load dispensers? Or Skittles without its rainbow? Every now and then, these brands venture to create a spinoff and it works (like Reese's special Easter candy), but then sometimes it fails monumentally.

Back in the early part of the 1990s, the Life Savers brand released Life Savers Holes. The mini piece candies were meant to represent the hole in the middle of a typical Life Savers candy. For those without a sweet tooth, Life Savers candies are essentially ring-shaped candies that resemble life preservers, hence the name.

When Holes debuted in the '90s, they were advertised as vibrant and more youthfully flavored than their classic predecessors. Yet despite the commercial success, they were abruptly discontinued due to packaging issues. Life Saver Holes were offered in flavors like Island Fruits, Sunshine Fruits, and an Outrageously Fruity mix. But, what sort of manufacturing hiccup could have caused the complete annihilation of these sweet little balls of fun?

Life Savers Holes were packaged and sold in small, plastic tubes — unlike the original candy which was sold in a tin foil wrapper with the brand's logo printed on it. While the packaging of Holes was more modern and convenient than the classic Life Savers, it's also where the trouble and eventual downfall began.

The brand issued a voluntary recall in 1991 after discovering there was a choking hazard. The recall stated that there had been some isolated instances of consumers biting off the cap of the tubes. More specifically, children ages 2 to 3 and a few teenagers had bitten the caps off of the packaging and chewed, swallowed, or gagged on them; though no serious injuries were reported.

The recall affected all Life Savers Holes products, pulling them off shelves and from all distribution channels at the time. The candies were recalled with the intention of relaunching with new, safer packaging within 90 days. The candies did come back four months later, but had lost their momentum. So, they were soon after discontinued completely. The life of these bite-sized holes was brief but fondly remembered. Perhaps one day, like the revamped return of McDonaldland characters in Happy Meals at McDonald's, Life Savers Holes can make their own comeback.