The brand was introduced by Mars in the UK in 1960, named Opal Fruits by Peter Phillips (known as Peter Pfeffer at the time), the winner of a competition that won him £5. The four original flavours were strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime. Opal Fruits were introduced in the United States in 1967 as M&M's Fruit Chewies and later, in the late 1960s, Starburst. While the etymology of the name Starburst isn’t certain, it was probably an attempt to express the burst of flavor at each bite, and draw attention while space interest was at its peak during the Space Race. Originally, Starburst came in the same flavours as Opal Fruits. Subsequently, its first variant, "Sunshine Flavors", was released and was later renamed "Tropical Opal Fruits". In Europe, lemon and lime were combined to become "Lemon and lime" to make room for a blackcurrant flavour.