Necco Wafers Go All Natural


Charles Krupa, APThe iconic Necco Wafer is going au naturale.The revamped product is now using red beet juice, purple cabbage, cocoa powder, paprika and turmeric to replace the artificial ingredients that had been flavoring and coloring the wafers for years.But not every wafer made the cut.Of the eight original Necco wafers, lime did not get through the makeover. While the lime flavor could be created with natural ingredients, the color green itself was too hard to duplicate, so it was scrapped. However, it may return once the color code is cracked, according to brand manager, Aimee Scott.So there are now seven flavors and colors: chocolate, lemon, orange, clove, wintergreen, cinnamon and licorice. The chocolate wafer, however, now comes in four varieties: dark, milk, mocha and white."The flavor is actually a little bit stronger in the new ones because they are all natural," Jackie Hague, Necco's vice president for marketing, told Slashfood. "And when you look at them, they're pastel and not as bright as they used to be."So if longtime Necco eaters can get past the change in color, Hague thinks they won't be disappointed in the quality of taste.Necco, an acronym for New England Confectionery Company, is the oldest multi-line candy company in the United States -- dating back to 1847. It is also famous for timeless confections like the Valentine's Day staple Sweethearts' Conversation Hearts or the peanut butter-and-molasses chews, Mary Jane.