In recent months, Fruit Roll-Ups have taken Israel by storm. The fruit-flavored, candy-like snack has become a cultural sensation, with TikTok users in the country sharing videos of themselves unwrapping the treats and devouring them in increasingly creative ways. But the popularity of Fruit Roll-Ups in Israel has also sparked a black market for the candy, with some Israelis going to great lengths to get their hands on the coveted snack.
Israel Goes Gaga For Fruit Roll
An American couple was caught trying to smuggle 375 pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel from the US, where the price of the candy has skyrocketed due to a viral video. A single pack of Fruit Roll-Ups costs about 50 cents in an American dollar store, but in Israel, it can go for up to $6 after a TikTok video showed fans how to freeze
And wrap it around ice cream as a makeshift crunchy cone. The resulting popularity explosion has made the fruity strips scarce in both the US and abroad and has spawned a black market. Israeli customs officials confiscated at least 661 pounds of the candy in the last week alone.
The latest viral infatuation has also led to increased orders from other local confection creators. A Brooklyn-based company, Joray Fruit Rolls, which manufactures a product similar in appearance to Fruit Roll-Ups, but boasts itself as a healthier option, has seen about a 50% increase in sales over the past two months.
Israel Goes Gaga For Fruit Roll TikTok Trend
The Fruit Roll-Up craze in Israel began with a TikTok trend that went viral earlier this year. TikTok users in the country started sharing videos of themselves opening Fruit Roll-Up packages in creative ways, from using scissors to cut the candy into intricate shapes to wrapping it around lollipops and other candies. The videos quickly gained popularity, and the trend spread across social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
Rise Of The Black Market
As the Fruit Roll-Up trend gained momentum in Israel, the candy became increasingly difficult to find in stores. Many Israelis reported that local supermarkets and candy shops were completely sold out of the snack, and some stores even started limiting the number of Fruit Roll-Ups that customers could purchase.
This shortage of Fruit Roll-Ups has led to the rise of a black market for candy in Israel. Some Israelis have taken to social media to sell Fruit Roll-Ups at inflated prices, with some sellers asking for as much as 10 times the retail price of the candy. Others have resorted to smuggling Fruit Roll-Ups into the country from the United States, where the snack is more widely available.
Future Of The Fruit Roll-Up Craze In Israel
As the black market for Fruit Roll-Ups in Israel continues to grow, some are calling for a crackdown on those involved in smuggling and selling the candy at inflated prices. Israeli authorities have already seized shipments of smuggled Fruit Roll-Ups at the country’s borders, and some have suggested that stronger measures may be needed to stem the tide of the black market.
