FOOD NEWS
What Exactly Is The Airheads Mystery Flavor?
By Elias Nash
Launched in 1993, White Mystery Airheads have befuddled candy fans for two and a half decades. Most people still don't know what flavor they truly are.
Our perception of flavor depends partially on visual cues like color. That's why, in blindfolded taste tests, some people think all Skittles might be the same flavor.
Essentially, you don't need a new flavor to confuse consumers — just a new color. This is the basis of Mystery Airheads, which are a combination of the other Airheads flavors.
The standard Airheads flavors are strawberry, cherry, orange, grape, green apple, and blue raspberry. White Mystery Airheads are made by combining these flavors.
There is no consistent formula for the White Mystery Airheads flavor. It changes from one batch to the next as part of a clever, cost-saving move by manufacturers.
Instead of stopping the assembly line and cleaning all the equipment between batches, they let it all keep running. This is also the method used to make mystery-flavored Dum Dums.