Sunkist Fruit Gems Return in Early 2027 Under New Manufacturer

Sunkist Fruit Gems will return to shelves in early 2027 after consumer outcry over the candy's discontinuation forced the citrus co-op to find a new manufacturing partner.

Sunkist Growers said in a statement that it has partnered with CandyRific, a Kentucky-based confectionery company, to produce the kosher candies. The announcement comes after news of the discontinuation spread nationally across social media, triggered by a report from Jewish publication eJP.

Ferrara, the Nerds maker that had manufactured the gems under a licensing agreement, confirmed it exited the deal. The company stopped production as part of a larger decision to streamline the Jelly Belly portfolio following its purchase of that brand. The move allowed the company "to focus resources on future growth and innovation," Ferrara said in a statement.

Sunkist said it received "overwhelming support and enthusiasm" for the return of the fruit gems and spent several months searching for a new manufacturing partner. It chose CandyRific based on the company's experience in the confectionery industry. CandyRific already manufactures a number of products under license agreements, including popping candies for Warheads and Kool-Aid.

"Consumers can expect the same key product characteristics they know and love, including individually wrapped pieces, a soft texture, fruit flavors, and kosher certification," Sunkist said in a statement.

The candies hold deep cultural significance. First introduced more than half a century ago and manufactured under the Ferrara licensing deal, they use citrus pectin instead of gelatin, which makes them kosher, according to brand anthropologist Jason Liebig, who detailed the product's history in a LinkedIn post. The individually wrapped gems are a fixture at bar and bat mitzvahs, and many Jewish couples are showered not with rice but with Sunkist Fruit Gems on their wedding day.

The commercial stakes extend beyond one nostalgic brand. The U.S. kosher market generates over $12 billion in annual sales, according to OU Kosher, the world's largest kosher certifier. While kosher products comply with Jewish dietary law, other consumers gravitate toward them because of dietary restrictions and perceptions around health and food safety.

Ferrara did not say when it discontinued the brand, and Sunkist has not detailed distribution plans beyond the early 2027 timeline. For marketers, the episode shows how quickly social media can convert a quiet portfolio decision into a national story — and how a licensing partner swap can preserve a brand before demand migrates elsewhere.