Why Are Lollipop Sticks Hollow? This Is the Answer
Updated: Aug. 17, 2022
It has to do with keeping the candy stable—and another very helpful safety feature.
The most iconic candy of all time has to be a good old-fashioned lollipop. It may not be the most popular candy in the grocery store checkout right now, but we’re all “suckers” for Dum Dums, Tootsie Pops and, of course, the bubble gum at the center of a Blow Pop. The lollipop is a candy classic.
If you grew up with Chupa Chups lollipops, though, there’s probably a question that’s still lingering in your mind from childhood. And that is: Why are lollipop sticks hollow? The explanation surprised us.
Why are lollipop sticks hollow?
It’s actually for a couple of reasons. The first has to do with how lollipops are manufactured. Take the Chupa Chups lollipops—a childhood favorite of mine—for example. When you’ve finished one of these lollipops, you may notice a little square hole toward the end of the stick. The reason for this hole is that the candy’s manufacturers actually melt candy into it. This ensures that the head of the lollipop stays attached to the stick rather than coming loose and falling off of it.
The second reason why lollipop sticks are hollow is for safety. The stick itself is hollow in order to keep excitable kids (and adults) from choking if they accidentally swallow the stick. Even in that unfortunate case, the hole would allow a little air to still get through, making a potentially deadly scenario a little less dangerous.
More facts you may not have known
In addition to why lollipop sticks are hollow, there are many other food-related questions with answers that may surprise you. And isn’t that’s the best part of life—learning something new every day? For example, do you know why Pringles aren’t really potato chips? Or what a yellow cap on Coca-Cola means? And you’re not imagining it: McDonald’s fries are different than they used to be.
