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Although there are many different sweet treats that we can enjoy in October and during Halloween, candy corn seems to be near the top of the list.

It is just one of those Halloween staples that people tend to either love or hate but they can’t deny that it is a part of the season.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

If you are somebody who enjoys eating candy corn, you probably would want to know a little more about what was inside of it. Then again, once you learn what was reported by Business Insider, you may want to leave it on the shelf.

If you were to say that sugar was the primary ingredient in candy corn, you would be correct. Actually, it also contains a number of other ingredients, including salt, confectioners glaze, sesame oil, dextrose, gelatin, honey, and artificial flavors.

Photo: flickr/liz west

All in all, the ingredient list may not seem as if it is anything too alarming. After all, many different types of candy have an ingredient list that is significantly long.

What you may not know is that the gelatin found in candy corn is actually made up of the bones and hides of animals, along with other animal parts. If you are somebody that enjoys candy corn because it might be free of animal products, that is bad news for you.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

It is what is on the outside of candy corn that really has many people surprised. The “lac-resin” that coats the outside of candy corn is made from Asian insects. That’s right, the secretion of lac bugs keeps the candy corn solid.

When those bug secretions are put on the candy corn, it keeps the candy hard on the outside and soft on the inside.

Fortunately, there is not much bug secretions on the candy corn that you need to be concerned about. It doesn’t have any nutritional value and only about 7.5 calories are added to the candy corn as a result.

Bon appetit.

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