Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

US Drops Record-Busting $2.3B on Halloween Candy

But how long will all this sweet stuff last?

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2011 4:01 PM CDT

(Newser) – By the time trick-or-treating ends tonight, Americans will have spent a record-breaking $2.3 billion on this year's Halloween candy, according to the National Confectioner's Association. Much like costume sales, candy sales appear to be impervious to the poor economic climate: LiveScience reports that they keep rising 1% to 3% each year. How much of that is candy corn? About 35 million pounds.

The good news is, if you don't want your child to eat his or her entire allotment of said candy in one evening, it may very well last forever—or at least until next Halloween. Since candy is high in sugar and low in moisture, it has a long shelf life, Slate explains. Pure chocolate lasts two years or more, although it will only be at peak quality for one of those years, but other candy bar ingredients, like nuts, go bad more quickly. (Click to see how much Americans planned to spend on costumes this year.)

Americans consume a lot of this around Halloween time.
Americans consume a lot of this around Halloween time.   (Creative Commons)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
46%
5%
17%
10%
10%
12%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Chitrix
Nov 1, 2011 8:43 AM CDT
There should be a law banning Candy Corn Nasty wax crap
fractal
Oct 31, 2011 11:18 PM CDT
I always had my kid make two equal piles of Halloween candy---the good stuff and the junk.  We threw the junk candy away.   Then I bought some of her "good" candy from her.  She ended up with her faves and I got rid of 3/4 of the sugar.
Jojo
Oct 31, 2011 5:06 PM CDT
That's because everyone is broke and they all decided to make this Thanksgiving and Christmas also

More Newser Stories

Culprit for Epidemics of Autism, Obesity: Fungicide?

Nearly 25% of Teens Have Diabetes

Key to Weight Loss: Stop Eating at Night

Why Food Must Be Regulated Like Tobacco

Unnatural Sleep Schedules Can Make You Fat


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment