**History of Cotton Candy:**
– Originated in Europe in the 19th century.
– Invented by William Morrison and John C. Wharton in 1897.
– First electric candy-spinning machine patent was in 1905.
– Popularized by Josef Delarose Lascaux.
– Evolved from hand-spun to machine-produced.
– National Cotton Candy Day is celebrated on December 7.
**Production of Cotton Candy:**
– Machines use a spinning head and sugar reserve bowl.
– Heaters melt sugar, which is squeezed out through tiny holes.
– Molten sugar solidifies in the air and is caught in a larger bowl.
– Operators twirl a stick or cone to gather the sugar strands.
– Sensitivity to humidity and messiness in humid climates.
– Various flavors and colors can be added during production.
**Flavoring and Marketing:**
– Originally white, now available in various colors and flavors.
– Blue raspberry and pink vanilla are popular in the US.
– Marketed by color and flavor.
– Gold Medal brand formulated blue raspberry and pink vanilla flavors.
**Machines and Modernization:**
– First automated cotton candy machine used in 1978.
– Commercial machines can hold up to 3 pounds of sugar.
– Storage for extra flavors and high-speed spinning.
– Range from counter-top to carnival-size variants.
– Efficiency improvements in modern machines.
**Controversies and Health Concerns:**
– Banned in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in India due to Rhodamine-B.
– Europe and California have banned Rhodamine-B as a food dye.
– Studies show Rhodamine-B can increase cancer risk.
– Public debates on safety and consumption.
– Regulatory bodies review toxicological data of cotton candy ingredients.
Cotton candy, also known as candy floss (candyfloss) and fairy floss, is a spun sugar confection that resembles cotton. It usually contains small amounts of flavoring or food coloring.
 Spinning cotton candy at a fair | |
| Alternative names | Candy floss (candyfloss), fairy floss |
|---|---|
| Type | Confectionery |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | William Morrison and John C. Wharton |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, food coloring |
It is made by heating and liquefying sugar, and spinning it centrifugally through minute holes, causing it to rapidly cool and re-solidify into fine strands. It is often sold at fairs, circuses, carnivals, and festivals, served in a plastic bag, on a stick, or on a paper cone.
It is made and sold globally, as candy floss in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa, as fairy floss in Australia, as barbe à papa "daddy's beard" in France, as شعر البنات "girl's hair" in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as غزل البنات "girl’s yarn" in Egypt. Similar confections include Korean kkul-tarae and Iranian pashmak.