Boo hoo: Halloween Peeps will be unavailable this year due to the coronavirus pandemic

Hot on the heels of trick-or-treating being discouraged, Halloween 2020 has been dealt another blow: Peeps shaped like ghosts, monsters, jack-’o-lanterns and other haunted hallmarks will be sitting out this holiday season.

Delish was the first to share the news, following an Instagram post from candy retailer Blair Candy blaming the coronavirus pandemic for making the sweet treats unavailable this Halloween.

Indeed, Just Born Quality Confections, which makes the fluffy marshmallow candy, confirmed in a statement to Yahoo Life that Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day versions of their Easter classic will not be produced due to “extensive changes in our plant” to keep employees safe amid the “unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.” Production on seasonal versions of Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales has also been temporarily suspended.

The candies and their seasonal varieties — which include snowmen, Christmas trees and gingerbread men designs — will return in 2021.

“While PEEPS? Marshmallow Candies, MIKE AND IKE? and HOT TAMALES? would typically be available in fun shapes and packaging sizes for the Halloween and holiday seasons, unfortunately, the seasonal varieties will not be in stores again until 2021,” the statement reads..” As you may know, due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily suspended production of our candy brands to ensure the health and safety of our associates. In early May, we resumed limited production after making extensive changes in our plant that ensure the safety of our associates. This situation resulted in us having to make the difficult decision to forego production of our seasonal candies for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day in order to focus on meeting the expected overwhelming demand for PEEPS? for next Easter season, as well as our everyday candies.

“We look forward to offering our fun seasonal shapes and packaging at all major seasons again beginning with Halloween of 2021.”

In March, Just Born announced plans to shut down its Pennsylvania factories in response to the pandemic, though the suspended production did not affect the availability of their marshmallow chicks and bunnies, an Easter basket staple.

The popular sweets are fittingly expected to be resurrected come next spring. For Halloween, however, it’s all trick, no treat.

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