Gummi Bear Boss Hans Riegel Dies October 15 at Age 90

Do you have a favorite flavor of Gummi bears? I like the red raspberry ones best.

The CEO of the German candy company, Haribo, Hans Riegel died on Tuesday, October 15, at the age of 90. He had been in charge of his father's candy business for 67 years.In the United States, Haribo gummi bears come in five flavors: raspberry (red), orange (orange), strawberry (green), pineapple (colorless) and lemon (yellow). Lemon would be my second favorite.

Riegel transformed his father's small candy company in Bonn, Germany into a global sweets giant with an estimated $2.7 billion in annual sales of gummi bears and other candies in 110 countries around the world.

Hans had just returned from being a prisoner of war after World War II when he and his brother Paul assumed responsibility for the family business. At the time they had 30 employees, 10 sacks of sugar and the secret recipe for gummi bears. Paul, who was more behind the scenes, developed the machines used to make the company's liquorices. while the more outgoing Hans worked on the company's first commercials.

With Halloween on the way, maybe pay tribute to the late candy maker by making treats using some of their products, like gummi worms crawling from chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting.