Opal Fruits were officially rebranded as Starburst in 1998 in the UK, after 38 years under the Opal Fruits name.

Key date and why it changed

  • Opal Fruits first launched in the UK in 1960 as chewy fruit‑flavoured squares made by Mars.
  • The shift to Starburst in 1998 was done to use a single global brand name instead of multiple regional names (like Opal Fruits in the UK and Starburst in the US).

What changed with the rebrand

  • The four original flavours (strawberry, lemon, orange, lime) broadly stayed the same, though later packs merged lemon and lime into one sweet and added others like blackcurrant.
  • The “Made to make your mouth water” slogan survived, but the packaging and branding fully aligned with the international Starburst look.

Why people still say “Opal Fruits”

  • Many in the UK still use the old name out of nostalgia, especially those who grew up with the product before 1998.
  • Mars has even brought back “Opal Fruits” as a limited‑edition retro line in recent years, playing on that nostalgia while keeping the standard range as Starburst.

So, in short: Opal Fruits became Starburst in 1998 , when Mars unified the UK brand with the global name.