They are similar toJelly Babies, but rather than being fruit flavoured and in a variety of colours, they are all dark brown and are flavoured withcocoa. They were previously called Chicos in Australia.
Cheekies are Australian made and contain no artificial colours. They are made by theNestlé Corporation and marketed under their Australian brandAllen's Lollies.
The product previously containedgelatin but the ingredient was removed in 2015 to make Cheekies suitable for vegetarians.[2] Cheekies are noted as a lolly that the public has a polarised opinion on.[3]
In June 2020, along withRed Skins, Nestlé announced that the name will be changed to represent the inclusive nature of modern society. The company said the decision was made to ensure "nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues". The statement added "These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestle's values, which are rooted in respect." The word "chico" in Spanish translates as "boy".[4] It can also be considered a derogatory term for people ofLatin American descent, although this is not in common usage in Australia.[5][6][7][8] The announcement of a name change occurred in the wake ofwidespread name changes following the George Floyd protests.[9] On 16 November 2020, Nestlé announced that the new name for Chicos would beCheekies. Packaging bearing the new name would be available in stores in early 2021.[10]
1 Brand owned byGeneral Mills; Produced by General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced byCereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere.2 Brand owned byGeneral Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license.3 U.S. production rights owned byThe Hershey Company.4 U.S. rights and production owned by theSmarties Candy Company with a different product.5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned byAssociated British Foods.6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé.7 Brand owned byPost Foods; Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland.8 Philippine production rights owned byAlaska Milk Corporation.9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned byFraser and Neave.10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.11 Used only in the Philippines.12 U.S. production rights owned by theFerrara Candy Company.13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019.14 Brand owned byMars, sold by Nestlé in Canada.15 Produced byFroneri in the U.S. since 2020.
