revival of the blue smartie

[Amby 490]

Blue Smarties are to make a comeback - thanks to a colouring extracted from seaweed.

They were dropped two years ago as part of a drive to rid the sweets of artificial colours.

But now makers Nestle Rowntree have found a new blue colouring from a seaweed called spirulina, reports the Daily Telegraph.

It means blue Smarties will now reappear in packs along with the seven other colours.

Nestle Rowntree stopped producing the blue version of the chocolate beans in 2006 because it couldn't find a natural alternative to the blue chemical it was then using. It was replaced with a white Smartie.

Smarties brand manager Michelle Roberts said: "We are now delighted to have found a solution that allows us to bring back blue Smarties with no artificial colours and flavours, just like the rest of the Smarties range."

The original blue Smarties were introduced in 1989, replacing the light brown variety.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_27235...u=news.quirkies

[MissStacey 1]

The brown ones have always been my favorite. I may be crazy but they taste different from the other colors- they are a little more tart.

[Saffyre 0]

Woo hoo....*Sings happily* "Only Smarties have the answer......."

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Awesome! I did like the blue smartie (as a colour).

Definitely made us hyper, though, as kids. Glad they're seeking out natural alternatives.

[j4k 0]

oooh i miss smarties! used to get them in canada, didn't know they were british! it's been so long since i've had them (other than when k brought them at xmas) that i didn't know the blue ones had gone....

plus now everytime i hear about them all i can think about is bunny from extras saying 'oooooh smahties!'