kitchen aid mixer   GIVEAWAY: Win a KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer! →

For some, this is a burning question that they have wanted to know the answer to for years. For others, it is not that much of a consideration.

Regardless of which side of the divide you fall on, you are definitely going to want to learn more about this one. After all, the lollipop is one of the most iconic candies in existence. It may be declining in popularity but we still love a good sucker!

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Blow Pops, Dum Dums, Tootsie Pops, they’re all great in our book. These candy classics were a childhood staple, but if you are anything like us, you have had some questions about the sticks. Why are they hollow? What purpose does this decision serve? The explanation that we received just might end up surprising you a bit.

According to Reader’s Digest, there are multiple reasons for this, believe it or not. One of them has to do with how the candy is being manufactured.

Photo: Pixabay/Hans Schwarzkopf

Chupa Chups lollipops, a childhood staple for many of us, are a commonly used example in these instances. Once these lollipops are finished, you are going to notice a small hole at the end of each stick. We had no idea why until now!

The manufacturers of the candy will melt the candy inside of it, so that it does not have a chance to come loose from each stick. The last thing anyone wants is a lollipop where the candy part falls off.

The lollipop sticks remain hollow for another important reason that we had yet to consider before now, too. This is actually a part of the safety protocols. Let’s say that a child or even an adult somehow manages to swallow the stick. In these instances, the hole in the stick is designed to allow air to pass through, even it has been swallowed. This provides parents with some much-needed reassurance. We had no idea that the stick could even be swallowed, to be perfectly honest.

Photo: Pixabay/Wälz

With this sort of forward-thinking, it is easy to see why the lollipop has remained such a common staple of the candy aisle. We live for stories like these, as it is so much fun to learn about all of the facts that we were totally unaware of.

Once you have had a chance to appreciate this one for yourself, please take a moment to share away with your closest friends and loved ones.