Retroblog

Necco Wafers Go Natural

One might think that once a product has been on the market for over a hundred years, it needs little improvement. But the folks at Necco (New England Confectionary Company) see things differently. This year, they have decided to alter the candy by changing from artificial to natural flavorings.

Necco, which invented the candy wafer-making machine back in 1901, is credited with being the oldest, continuously produced candy in America, and also manufactures millions of little candy Sweethearts when Valentine’s Day draws near. Necco wafers traditionally consist of an odd mix of spice and fruit flavors – such as lemon, lime, clove, orange, cinnamon, licorice and wintergreen. The switch to natural flavorings, however, will mean the demise of the lime wafer, so hopefully that wasn’t your favorite. The familiar chocolate variety, popular enough to have its own roll, is getting a major overhaul – what once was actually a vanilla wafer with just a hint of artificial chocolate flavor, is now flavored with real cocoa. Better yet, there will be four varieties of chocolate wafer, including a new dark variety.

So as the new rolls of Necco wafers roll off the assembly line, we ask our retro candy fans to weigh in on this seemingly immortal candy and the new flavor changes on the horizon. Share your thoughts with all of us at Retroland.