Q&amp;A: Rotten on its low-sugar gummy worms

The brand's gummy worms have 60% less sugar and are made with no artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Q&A: Rotten on its low-sugar gummy worms

Candy Industry Senior Editor Liz Parker recently connected with Michael Fisher, CEO and founder of Rotten.

Developed with leading candy scientists, Rotten Gummy Worms have 60% less sugar and are made with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. The gummy worms are made with allulose, so there are no sugar alcohols or stevia. Allulose is a natural sweetener found in foods like figs, raisins, and maple syrup. It's sweet, non-glycemic, and only has 10% of the calories.

The brand's Original and Sour versions each have four flavors: Mischievous Mango, Barfin’ Blue Raspberry, Slobberin’ Strawberry, and Weirdo Watermelon.

Liz Parker: How did the idea for Rotten come about?

Michael Fisher: Rotten was built off a love of the nostalgic and gross-out branding that was popular among ‘90s candy brands. We wanted to build a product that would be fun to enjoy and could easily trick you into making better food choices based solely on our exciting branding.

LP: What makes Rotten different than other gummy worms on the market?

MF: Beyond having 60% less sugar, no artificial sweeteners or flavors, Rotten’s true superpower is our branding.

We knew we needed to create something that would differentiate us within the stale health and wellness market and recruited our creative director, Josh Freydkis, who helped us bring Rotten to life.

We are also one of the few snack brands that have integrated sustainability into our product since inception.

With our 100% compostable packing, Rotten has taken a huge burden off of consumers and ultimately the planet, and we’re proud to have been able to achieve this from the start.

LP: What made you decide to make Rotten a low-sugar gummy product?

MF: Growing up, I was always a huge fan of the wacky world of candy. However, as I got older, I started to become more interested in health and fitness, and my love for candy was something that was hard for me to let go of. After trying a lot of the alternatives on the market at the time, I found that none of them tasted good, or they were overloaded with fiber or artificial sweeteners and wouldn’t make me feel great. This was when I decided to begin my journey to create Rotten.

We aren’t on a race to “zero-sugar” but instead have a product that wasn’t made with tons of the junk you see in a lot of traditional candy and is still super fun to enjoy.

LP: What’s new for Rotten this year or in 2024?

MF: At the moment, we’re focused on our two Gummy Worm products, working to expand our footprint and gain more Rotten fans. In the future, we might explore some non-chocolate candy categories, but no solid plans just yet.

LP: What is your favorite Rotten flavor (Sour or Original) and why?

MF: I’m a sour candy freak so I’ve got to say Sour! I love the crunch of the sour coating and the balance of sour and sweet.

Liz Parker is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkere@bnpmedia.com.