We’ve all cracked a pack or two of Skittles candy in our day, but did you ever wonder how every Skittle has uniform shape? Well, it’s because only those who meet the rigorous standard set by Mars have the little S stamped on them, and get sent out to supermarkets. But what happens to all those other Skittles? The ones that are lumpy, or malformed, or just don’t have the right look to make prime time?
Well, a lot of them wind up getting eaten by cows, according to The Independent.
Cows Are Eating What?!
Earlier this year, there was a Skittles spill in Wisconsin. The candies were all defective, and no one could fathom why they were being trucked through farm country. That’s when it was revealed that the candies were meant for local farmers, who would be mixing the Skittles in with their cows’ feed.
Why are farmers buying defective candies (they also buy sprinkles, and other sweets as well as Skittles) for their cows? Well, this practice has been going on at least since 2012, because the price of corn was going through the roof. So, in an attempt to find another acceptable mix-in, farmers turned to the unusual solution of buying defective candies in bulk. The result is that these candies are kept out of landfills, the farmers save money, the cows get a treat, and we don’t need to grow as much corn to keep our industries going.
In the end, it seems like a pretty sweet deal.
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