Each one of us must have definitely tasted a candy that makes a loud "popping" sound thereby making us feel weird when we put them in our mouth. These pop candies are definitely a fun to eat. But have you ever wondered what lends the popping characteristic to these candies? Well, let us find out...

What are pop rock candies made of?

Popping candies or pop rocks candies are made by mixing sugars sucrose and lactose, and some flavouring. This mixture is then heated to melt them. The molten mixture is then exposed to high pressure carbon dioxide. The pressure is way higher, almost 40 times more than atmospheric pressure of 600 psi. The carbon dioxide dissolves the sugar. The mixture is then cooled and the pressure is brought down.

At this point the dissolved carbon dioxide tries to escape and in an attempt forms bubbles just like the ones that form when you open the lid of a fizzy drink. But in this case, since the sugar is solidifying, the high pressure large bubbles break the sugar into small lumps or rocks.

Know how do pop rock candies work?

The small rock candies still have the small bubbles of carbon dioxide trapped in them. The small bubbles hide in the molecules of the rocks under great pressure. So when we break the rock sugar mechanically or weaken the sugars by dissolving the outer layers, the bubbles explode creating a huge popping sound.

Find out if pop rock candies are harmful?

There is a legend behind the story of pop candies. It is believed that a boy named Mikey, the kid from the Life Cereal ads who just not eat anything. One day, he happened to swallow pop rocks and washed them down with cola. His stomach then exploded and he died. However, this story is just not true. If you gulp a bagful of pop rocks followed by a bottle full of cola, the maximum that you will do is burp. But you will definitely not die...

Pop candies are not dangerous at all. They are simply fun to have. Pop candies release just one tenth of carbon dioxide as compared to the amount released from a mouthful of cola drink.

Except for the carbon dioxide, the ingredients are same in a pop candy just like any other hard candy. The popping effect is just dramatic in nature. It will not cause any candy to shoot inside your lungs or damage your teeth in any way.

Pop rock candies are so much fun that you can even try making some of those at home. They are just for fun and are not harmful in any way. So do not worry what may happen, just pop some candies in your mouth and enjoy the popping effect!