What Does Hershey Call the Thin Paper Strip Sticking Out of a Hershey's Kiss Wrapper: The Name, Its Job, and Why It's There

That thin paper strip sticking out of a Hershey's Kiss wrapper is commonly called the "plume" or, in candy-industry terms, the Kiss's paper tag or ribbon. The Hershey Company has never sold the strip as a standalone product and doesn't advertise a formal consumer-facing name for it, so "plume" caught on in packaging and craft circles rather than in Hershey's own marketing. The strip's main job is practical: it's the tail end of the foil-wrapping process, where the wrapper is twisted and heat-sealed, leaving a small printed paper tab that holds the seal and makes the Kiss easier to open.

Why the Strip Is There at All

A Hershey's Kiss gets wrapped in aluminum foil on high-speed equipment, and that equipment twists the foil at the top to close the package. The thin paper strip is a printed paper band that sits against the foil and gets caught in that twist, so it's part of the sealing mechanism rather than decoration added afterward. The strip also carries a small blue "KISSES" wordmark, which makes it do double duty as branding. Because it's twisted into the seal, pulling it is the natural way to start unwrapping the candy. Anyone who has watched a Kiss come off a grocery shelf has seen that the strip always emerges at the same point, near the top of the foil twist.

The Terminology Problem: "Plume" vs. "Tag" vs. "Ribbon"

Candy-packaging people usually say plume for the paper strip, and crafters who fold wrappers into ornaments call it the tag. Some sellers and tutorials call it a ribbon, because it reads visually like a small ribbon tail even though it's flat printed paper. Hershey's own packaging and product pages describe the Kiss as foil-wrapped and don't publish an official name for the strip, so all three terms are informal. If you're searching for a supply of them — say, for craft projects — the terms people actually list them under vary by seller. The safest phrasing in a listing is "Hershey's Kiss wrapper foil with paper tag," which is descriptive rather than brand-specific. This is a case where the naming is folk terminology, not an official Hershey's product name.

What the Strip Is Made Of and How It Prints

The strip is coated paper, the same family of thin printed paper used for candy bands and foil-backed packaging, printed in the familiar silver and blue Kiss pattern. It isn't plastic film, which is why it tears cleanly and why it can be recycled with mixed paper in many municipal programs — though local rules vary, and you should check with your own waste hauler rather than assume. The paper also does a small manufacturing job: it registers against the foil so the printing lands in the same spot on every Kiss. Because the strip is folded into the twist, it's usually the first part of the wrapper to tear when someone opens the candy. That fragility is part of why it's treated as a disposal item and not a keepsake, except among crafters who carefully flatten wrappers.

How the Strip Is Appended During Wrapping

Here's the sequence most people never see, as it plays out on a wrapping line:

1: The foil web feeds forward and the paper strip is printed and cut to length. 2: The strip is laid against the foil so both enter the wrapping head together. 3: The wrapping head folds the foil around the chocolate and twists the top. 4: The twist catches the paper strip, locking it into the seal. 5: The finished Kiss drops out with the strip protruding at the twist point.

If you handle a Kiss, you can see step 4's result: the strip is never glued on, it's mechanically trapped in the twist, which is why it can't be slid off without tearing. If a Kiss arrives with a torn or missing strip, the twist seal has likely been compromised — foil may be loose and the chocolate exposed to air. Inspect those and don't eat Kisses with visibly broken or puffed packaging, since the seal is the freshness barrier.

Foil, Paper, or Both: What Happens on Opening

Unwrapping a Kiss is a two-material job. Peeling the foil away usually leaves the paper strip dangling, and that's the familiar motion people remember from a candy dish at a holiday table. The paper does not dissolve and doesn't come off in the mouth — it's fully separate from the chocolate. If you've ever had to fish a strip out of a bowl of mixed candies, you know it clings to the foil edge by static rather than adhesive. That static cling is also why crafters can press the flattened wrapper onto cardstock and have it stay down without glue for a while.

How Kiss Wrappers Have Changed Over the Years

Hershey's Kisses date to 1907, and the foil-and-paper wrap is a long-running format rather than a recent innovation. What has changed is printing: modern wrappers carry the blue foil and the small paper tag with the "KISSES" mark, while older wrappers used different colorways and simpler printing. Special editions — seasonal colors and limited flavor runs — alter the foil color but keep the paper-tag construction, because the wrapping equipment is unchanged. The takeaway: the strip is a manufacturing constant, and its printed design is the part that varies by edition. Collectors sort wrappers by era and color rather than by strip design, because the strip is always the same printed paper.

The Craft Afterlife: Wrappers People Keep

A subset of candy fans flattens the wrapper and strip together and uses them for ornaments, scrapbook pages, and decoupage. The paper strip turns up in those projects because it's printed and slightly stronger than plain foil, so it holds shape when folded. There's a real limit, though: the paper is thin and tears at the twist point, so most wrappers survive flattening only if opened slowly and pulled at the seal rather than yanked. If you plan to keep wrappers, peel the foil from the bottom first and let the strip come free last. Otherwise you'll have a torn strip and a creased foil that won't lie flat.

Commonly Confused With the Kiss Chocolate Inside

The strip is often assumed to be edible or to hold a message, and neither is true — it's coated paper, not candy, and it carries branding rather than text. People also confuse it with the foil itself, thinking the "thin paper" is just silver foil; the paper is the printed band that emerges from the twist, not the foil that hugs the chocolate. A third mix-up: some assume the strip is a tamper seal that Hershey's uses to secure the wrapper. The twist does the sealing, and the strip is a byproduct of the twist rather than an added security feature. If you're inspecting a package for tampering, look at the integrity of the foil twist and the overall wrapper, not the strip alone.

Wrapper and Seal Differences by Edition and Region

Kiss packaging construction is broadly the same across editions, but the printed strip's color and the foil colorway change with seasonal and limited-edition runs. Seasonal bags and special flavors get colored foil — think holiday reds and greens or pastel spring versions — while the paper tag stays a printed paper strip in each case. For import and export markets, labels and ingredient blocks on the outer bag differ, but the single Kiss's foil-and-paper construction is consistent. Because specifics change by year and region, the right check is the packaging on the bag you're holding: the manufacturer's description on the outer bag or Hershey's official product page is the authority for any given edition, not a general guide like this one.

Wrapping Construction, Side by Side

The comparison matters because the three parts fail differently: foil crinkles, the strip tears, and the twist loosens. If the twist loosens, the other two don't save the candy. Look for tight, intact twists at the top before anything else. If you're sorting a party bowl, tight twists also mean the strip is still doing its job.

The Practical Use: Opening and Disposing of Kisses

Use the strip as the opening handle. Pinch it and pull, and the twist releases before the foil tears down the side, which gives you a cleaner unwrap. If you're opening a bunch for a recipe, work from the strip and set the foil aside so it doesn't shred into the bowl. Dispose of foil and paper with your usual recycling if your local program accepts them; coated paper and foil often do, but check locally. The strip is not food-safe, so keep it out of anything you're cooking or serving. If a strip is stuck to the chocolate, it got there through a damaged seal — discard that piece.

FAQ

Is the thin paper strip on a Hershey's Kiss edible?

No. The strip is coated printed paper, part of the wrapper rather than the candy. It doesn't dissolve and shouldn't be eaten. If any strip material is stuck to the chocolate, the wrapper seal was damaged and the piece should be thrown out.

Does Hershey's officially call the strip a "plume"?

There's no published official name from Hershey's for the strip; "plume" is common packaging-craft terminology. Hershey's describes the Kiss as foil-wrapped without naming the strip. Treat "plume," "tag," and "ribbon" as informal names rather than company terms.

Why do some Kisses come with a colored strip?

Seasonal and limited-edition runs use different foil colorways, and the printed paper strip's color follows the edition. The construction stays the same; only the printing changes. Check the bag or Hershey's product page for the edition you have.

Can I recycle the strip and foil?

Often yes — foil and coated paper are commonly accepted in curbside recycling, but rules vary by municipality. Confirm with your local waste program before tossing them in. Neither belongs in food waste or compost in most programs.

When was the foil-and-paper Kiss wrapper introduced?

The Kiss itself dates to 1907, and the foil wrapper is a long-running format. Printing and colorways have changed over the decades, but the paper strip caught in the twist has been part of the package's construction. Collectors date wrappers by era and color rather than by strip design.

What should I do if the strip is torn or the twist is loose?

Don't eat the chocolate. A loose twist or broken strip usually means the seal failed and the candy may be stale or exposed. Return it to the store or discard it. Inspect twists, not just strips, when checking freshness.

How do crafters get the strip to lie flat?

Peel the foil from the bottom first and free the strip last, then flatten the whole wrapper under a heavy book for a day or two. The paper tears at the twist easily, so slow opening is what preserves it. Wrappers that survive flattening are the ones opened gently.

Are Kisses wrapped the same way in every country?

The single-Kiss construction — foil plus paper strip in a twist — is consistent across markets. Outer bags differ in labeling and ingredient panels by region. The package you're holding and the manufacturer's page for that market are the authority for exact details.