Reading your column concerning the flavors of Fruit Loops made me remember something you might be able to help me out with. Mother’s Cookies makes circus animal cookies coated in frosting. Half of them are pink and the other half are white but they taste almost identical. I can taste the difference. My friends say I am crazy but I can even prove it in a blind-folded test. My questions are:
Can other people taste this difference? What makes the difference? Is it the different dyes?
[[ And the link to the column is: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfroot.html
[Note: This message has been edited by CKDextHavn]
An obvious test suggests itself: sort the cookies (or Froot Loops) by color and feed randomly determined colors to a blindfolded taster and see if they can tell the difference. Ideally, the person giving the cookies (or Froot Loops) to the taster should also be unaware of their color.
I’ve noticed that the yellow colored Fruit Loops are DISTINCIVELY lemon. The other ones, though, seem pretty monotasteous [not a real word, but it sound good, right?]
-Justin Howland
Well, considering that they are all the same flavor, I’d have to say it’s all in your head. 
Seriously, I figured out they were all the same flavor years and years ago. Now with Kellogg’s agreeing, I don’t know that there’s that much more to say.
I think they are all “Froot” flavored – although “Froot” may come in a variety of colors. This should not be confused with “Juicy Fruit” gum, which is a totally different flavor. In either case, the flavors don’t replicate anything you would find in nature. At least, my tastebuds don’t think so.
I think that Fruit Loops have one of the most distinctive tastes in the world, and I would have to agree that the taste is related to the lemon family. And, FYI Lemon Pledge and moist towelettes smell exactly like Fruit Loops.
Well, there’s an answer to this, actually, by someone who’s done it. Or had it done for him. Kinda. Um.
http://www.brunching.com/ratings/rate-cereal3.html
Apart from the answer to this old question, I highly recommend the Brunching Shuttlecocks anyway. Next time you have a few hours to kill, take a spin through the Ratings archives.
Since I answered the Froot Loops question, I figured I’d better take on the OP here, as well. So I called Mother’s Cake and Cookie Company in Oakland, California for the answer.
Sorry, Verbal, but according to the manufacturer, the flavors of the cookies are the same. The only difference is in the color, some being white, the others pink.
Now, having said that, I can’t guarantee that the chemical composition of food dyes can’t have some impact on flavor, and that some dyes might not taste different than others. I am, however, very skeptical. I’ll have to schedule another taste test. . .
And, by the way, for anyone who’s interested, the story is the same for Trix. I haven’t gotten a response from Post yet about Fruity Pebbles, but I suspect the answer is the same there, as well.
Rich
Off the subject slightly, the mention of Juicy Fruit gum reminds me of a recipe to share: If you make a Tom Collins but substitute the gin with SLOE gin, the result tastes like Fruit Stripe bubble gum (remember that stuff?). Amazing, but true.
More on the Mother’s Cookies.
Hey, VegForLife, do this in your taste test. Eat all of the whites in the bag of cookies. Really savor the flavor of the icing. Next pop a pink one in your mouth. If you don’t notice a difference I will be forced to think of myself and my taste buds as complete freaks of nature.
Verbal
My suggestion would be to do a blind taste testing where the cookies are mixed up. If you can’t discern a taste, and can’t correctly identify about 18 of 20 cookies, you likely are imagining the taste difference influenced by what your eyes see.
On a similar note, my fiance can correctly (missing only 1 out of 50) identify the flavors of Sweet Tarts. I don’t mention this to brag (after all, those are MEANT to taste different), but to note that this conclusion was reached through blind tasting.
The new blue M&M’s taste different from all the others. I know, I know, everyone thinks I’m crazy. But, I can pick 'em out blindfolded. I can’t tell any of the other colors apart - but I can pick out those blue buggers! And, boy, are they ever gross!
WARNING: I cannot be held responsible for the above as apparently my cat has learned to type.
Fruit Loops have a "unique"smell,heh heh!
I don’t have any fruit loops around but if I did, I would look at the box & see what the contents are. duh!