Sweethearts (candy)

History

Daniel Chase, Oliver's brother, began printing sayings on the candy in 1866. He designed a machine that was able to press on the candy similar to a stamp. The candy was often used for weddings since the candies had witty saying such as: "Married in pink, he will take a drink", "Married in White, you have chosen right", and "Married in Satin, Love will not be lasting".

The candies were originally in the shape of a seashell and were large enough to carry a longer message. The heart-shaped conversation candies to be called Sweethearts got their start in 1901. Other shapes formerly produced include lozenges, horseshoes, and baseballs. Line extensions carrying the Sweethearts brand include chocolates and sugar-free hearts.

Necco produced the hearts year-round, but mixing of colors and packaging were ramped up beginning in September to meet the demand for the product at Valentine's Day. Approximately 100000 lb of hearts were made per day, which sells out in about six weeks. The company produces 8 billion hearts per year. As a Valentine candy, it is second in popularity only to chocolate. The largest market is related to school celebrations on Valentine's Day.

Flavor change

In 2010, the classic pastel candy formula was abandoned. Sweethearts were made softer with vivid colors and new flavors. These new flavors included sour apple and blue raspberry. The changes to the flavors and messages were unpopular with some fans.

Bankruptcy and return

In 2018, Necco declared bankruptcy. The original plant closed and their candy brands were sold off. The rights to Sweethearts were acquired by Spangler Candy Company. With the purchase of the brand by Spangler, Sweethearts were unavailable for Valentine's Day 2019 as Spangler set up production of the confections in a new plant. Sweethearts returned in 2020 with the original flavors from before Necco's 2010 change, but due to equipment problems, the familiar sayings were largely either incomplete or missing entirely.

Ingredients

The main ingredients are corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, and various types of food coloring.

References

References

1. Zhu, Arianna. (27 Feb 2023). "Sweethearts get their ever after this Valentine season".
2. (2019-02-13). "With Candy-Heart Maker Necco Out of Business, Other Confectioners Vie for Valentine's Day Love". [[Fortune (magazine).
3. [http://www.necco.com/aboutus/history.asp NECCO History] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-05-06)
4. Foglino, Annette. (8 February 2011). "The History of Sweetheart Candies".
5. Abraham, Lisa. "Candy hearts celebrating 150 years of sweetness".
6. [http://www.necco.com/OurBrands/Default.asp?BrandID=8 New England Confectionery Comp (2010): Sweethearts]
7. Robins, Clair. (2019-01-18). "Where are the SweetHearts?!".
8. Wight, Patty. (February 13, 2010). "A-Twitter Over Updated Sweethearts Candy". [[NPR]].
9. Gray. (January 26, 2010). "Pining for old Sweethearts". The Stew.
10. Floyd. (February 12, 2010). "Conversation Hearts overhaul is tough for some fans to swallow". The Dallas Morning News.
11. Mettler, Lyn. (2019-01-22). "This classic Valentine's Day candy may be missing from store shelves this year".
12. Ewers, Josh. (September 21, 2018). "Spangler Candy buys Sweethearts, NECCO, Canada Mints and New Era campus".
13. Lucas, Amelia. (January 23, 2019). "America's favorite Valentine's Day candy is unavailable this year". CNBC.
14. (16 January 2020). "Valentine's Sweethearts Candies Return This Year With Some New Changes".