When I was growing up, the most pressing question regarding Tootsie Pop science was “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”

But yesterday, when I handed a Tootsie Pop to my daughter’s friend (who’s 8 years old), she asked another important question:

“Are there any ingredients in it?”

– My name is Jon Friesch, and I will not stop until I’ve answered this very good question.