The Penny Candy Curse

Over 125 years ago, sweet little treats helped launch America’s sugar addiction

Ravenelle, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Candy is an ancient invention — honey was added to seeds, nuts and fruit by the early Egyptians and Greeks to create sweet confections.

But in the United States, “penny candy” — the first candy designed just for kids — hooked American youngsters on sugar. It proved to…