General Foods, original parent company of the explosive brand Pop Rocks, had to do some serious damage control in the late 1970’s after an urban legend instilled great fear into their consumers…or maybe just their moms. The word on the street was that “Little Mikey,” the lovable boy from the famous LIFE Cereal commercials, died from a lethal combination of six packs of Pop Rocks and six cans of soda.

This PR nightmare is likely the reason why sales of Pop Rocks slumped in 1983 and General Mills ultimately removed the carbonated candy from the shelves. The sudden departure confirmed the fear for many, a reason why some consumers still believe the myth to this day.

Here’s the truth behind the rumors, though – Kraft bought the rights to Pop Rocks in 1985 and licensed its manufacturing to Pop Rocks Inc. (USA) and Zeta Espacial S.A. (Spain) who now owns the brand.

And if you can’t get enough of this carbonated concoction, don’t fret. This myth is far from true, as proven by the Mythbusters in their pilot episode. And our friend “Little Mikey,” he’s fully intact, working as a media sales director in New York after a short-lived stunt in child acting. Now onto Coca-Cola and Mentos…

From all of us at Mascola Group, we wish you a fun, safe, and Happy Halloween!