Via iStockphoto / @joebenavidez01 TikTok
A man attended a trunk or treat event and noticed something terrifying about the Halloween candy. Is this a deep recession indicator?
Halloween is right around the corner, and trick-or-treating activities have already started. Trunk or treats are already in full swing, where trick-or-treaters get early access to candy. One man found something terrifying about the candy his child received during a trunk or treat event, and he thinks it’s a “deep recession” indicator.
In a TikTok with over 430,400 views, Joe Benavidez (@joebenavidez01) says, “Just got back from a trunk or treat and a couple of observations. This is how you know that we’re in a deep recession.”
The first piece of candy he examines is a pack of Smarties, which is half the size that it usually is.
“Smarties now come in like a half pack… Now it’s just like a little half-sleeve,” he says.
Benavidez continues to show that his child received a bunch of cheeseballs and corn products. The real kicker is when he showcases the gummy bear that was handed out.
“A single gummy bear,” he reveals.
That’s right, one gummy bear in its own package.
Benavidez was in disbelief considering this trunk or treat was held at the best school in the district.
“We live in a decent neighborhood and the school that hosted this is one of the best schools in the state… you know it’s bad,” the post captions.
‘I Lost It With The 1 Gummy Bear’
Viewers in the comment section couldn’t get past the one gummy bear.
“I lost it with the 1 gummy bear,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“One single gummy bear? In its own individual plastic packaging? Insane,” another added.
“Single gummy bear in a package is so wasteful,” a third chimed in.
Benavidez isn’t the only parent to notice the single gummy bear in their child’s Halloween candy and call it a recession indicator. After also posting about the single gummy bear, Danielle Martin (@henryandhuckleberry) told BroBible she’s noticed an overall uptick in smaller-portioned candies throughout the Halloween candy.
“I am noticing more (however, still infrequent) individually wrapped candies — a single stick of gum, a single Swedish fish, a single gummy worm, etc,” she said.
She called the single gummy bear a “true sign of how horrible our current economy is.”
Why Is Halloween Candy So Expensive?
Food prices across America have soared in recent years, and this includes the price of candy. The Bureau of Labor reports that two-thirds of the yearly candy sales come from holidays, including Halloween, Easter, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
The main factor as to why candy has risen is that there have been shortages of the three main ingredients used in candy. Approximately 65% of candy is made up of either cocoa beans (28%), corn syrup (28%), and sugar (8%).
Typically, Mexico is the U.S.’ main importer for sugars but experienced a drought, which reduced production. The U.S. had to lean on importing outside of Mexico to get the sugar. Sugar prices rose 44% in the past few years. Additionally, cocoa importing prices rose over 100%, while corn sweeteners increased by 26%.
These shortages were created by severe weather conditions throughout the world. Production in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, India, Thailand, and Mexico decreased due to El Nino factors.
Not to mention these products have had a strong demand. Naturally the price will go up, especially with input costs rising. In order to pay for this and protect profits, candy distributors passed along the cost to consumers with higher prices and even made packaging smaller.
When Did Trunk Or Treat Begin?
Halloween night involves trick-or-treaters exploring various neighborhoods to collect as much candy as possible. The more houses that are visited, the effort is rewarded with more candy.
However, some trick-or-treaters are opting out in favor of trunk or treat events. Trunk or treating is associated with churches, and the first event happened in 1994, NPR reports. Halloween has been known to have crime spikes, so many parents choose to do trunk or treating instead for safety.
This alternative allows children to walk car to car and collect candy in one central location. Cars will meet up in a school, church, or community parking lot and open up their trunks to deal out candy. Trunks can be decorated to a certain theme with spiderwebs, pumpkin patches, or spooky monsters.
Doing a trunk or treat is a more controlled environment, allowing kids and parents to collect candy worry-free.
BroBible has also contacted Clark by TikTok direct message and commented on the post. The story will be updated if he responds.