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A total of 43 layers of hard candy are meticulously added, and the drying process is delicate—any overheating could result in misshapen candies or clumping together. Special air blasts are sometimes employed to keep the candies from sticking. After the final layer is applied and dried, a wax coating is added to give the Skittles their signature shine.
The Blending and Stamping Process
Once polished, the iconic flavors of Skittles—strawberry, orange, lime, lemon, and grape (or blackcurrant)—are mixed together on a blending belt fed by multiple hoppers, ensuring a balanced distribution of colors in each batch. While conspiracy theorists may lament a supposed abundance of lemon flavors in bags, Mars Wrigley maintains that all colors are blended as evenly as possible.