Contrary to the claims linking blue raspberries to the whitebark raspberry, the rationale behind blue raspberry was to offer a flavor and color distinct from the other red fruits.

Previously, raspberry-flavored candies used to have their own shade of red food dye: a dark crimson shade called amaranth, which was eventually banned by the FDA.

This forced American confectioners to look for alternatives, leading to the discovery of blue raspberry, with Gold Medal’s cotton candy flavor in 1958 being the first iteration.

ICEE and Otter Pops further popularized blue raspberry in the 1970s, using the Blue No. 1 dye, which is not linked to cancer and is now a standard in various treats and beverages.