Horrible, Horrible, Horrible! GoodNews on 1/14/10 at 10:05 am, Comment by The general public and consumer will not be fooled for long. I have always looked forward to my sweethearts every year. I hope they are bombarded with a negative response. Thanks to the lady who suggested the Dollar Stores. Hi, does anyone know where I can find the old sweetheart tart candy boxes or bags? They are not good and not what people want. Like someone else said, if its not broke, dont fix it! I hated the old ones. And Ill bet they work for the company or never tasted the old ones. I mean it!!!! The taste is horrible! Then I discovered this blog. IM PISSED!!! Sweetheart candy hearts have been my favorite candy for many, many years. The new flavors sound awful. And, of course, it wouldn't be the same without Sweethearts you know, those little heart-shaped candies with phrases like "LETS KISS" and "MY BABY." First, you can still get the classic Necco Sweethearts. Fortunately, I was able to find a dollar store in my area that has the original flavors and stockpiled. My complaint response from Necco also contained the following: These stores still have the old flavors. Teresa on 1/27/10 at 6:27 pm, Comment by I too emailed the company and got the standard response, then replied and forwarded it to the higher ups. I am soooo disappointed about the new flavors! NEW SWEETHEART HATER on 1/30/10 at 7:35 am, Comment by Does Love have a governing board that can decide these things, like the Olympic Committee? I wanted to add that after my granddaughter got rid of the new Sweetheart candy she finished off a box of the old stuff, which she said was much better. Guess which flagship product has been almost completely reformulated with NO press release or announcement or packaging notation? I guess you cant count on anything anymore. Its a shame. Since I live rather close to the factory maybe I should get a bunch of my cohorts together and go protest. BRING BACK THE ORIGINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are they gonna muck with the recipe for Coke? I thought theses nasty little hearts were made from some cheap company. Ive only seen them in the little boxes, only as singles (not in the shrinkwrapped five packs and no bags). The texture is smoother than the usual compressed dextrose candy like SweeTarts, because this is made with mostly sugar and corn syrup instead of dextrose (which is just a powder form of glucose and has a different mouthfeel). I called the company to return them and they would not take them back because they were candy. I wrote NECCO, got a nice coporate BS letter back.such a shameif it anit broke dont fix it! Whose bright ideas brought this to the table they should be fired. The new candies have brighter colors, bolder flavors and more current expressions. The colors are more vibrant and the printing just as inconsistent. The article appears in the magazine Brandweek which is a trade magazine for marketing professionals. No promised recipes or craft ideas not even any mention that would be what I expect to find it there. Thanks for that link Cybele. Otherwise, they will lose a vast number of future consumers and loyal fans, along with their children and grandchildren. Those of us who love them would NEVER suggest that they change the flavors, only first-time buyers would, and they arent the loyal consumers who have made them #1 in sales! I agree - I hoard the hearts before and after VD and have them in my freezer for my all year enjoyment - just tried a pack of the new ones (thought maybe just the packaging had changed) and yuck!!! Kathy W on 1/19/10 at 8:19 am, Comment by Could you please send a copy of all these comments to the Necco Company? 4) THE PACKAGING IS DECEPTIVE. We all know that candy uses artificial flavors and colors and cheap sugars (though we wish they wouldnt). Yesterday I opened the bag and tried them, very sad to notice that my favorite color was no longer in the bag, and they tasted NASTY, like little kids medicine! Sweethearts are one of the few Valentines we usually pick up before the sales. Necco had been the longest continuously operating candy company in the U.S. until 2018. But now thats about to change. Thanks for the info. Then I saw the funky blue hearts. Unlike my first complaint, I did not receive a response back. to will be running to a dollar store to find my I mean, disgusting bad. In keeping with tradition, Spanglers core collection of Sweethearts features classic candy heart sayings from years past. NASTY FLAVORS! One more thing I keep hearing about throwing these out. (Ms. Hague also said that theyve assigned more people to help out with the feedback process, so perhaps the responses will be more appropriate instead of a copy/paste FAQ.) These are inedible and what better message than one from a grocery giant that they had to give a customers money back and now have a bunch of opened bags to deal with. It appears to me their largest purchasing consumers are NOT the children, tweens, teens and young parents. Of course, the kids probably like these new flavors better, and theyre likely the larger consumer group. Necco marketing director Aimee Scott talks to TIME about how the candy is made and shares the weirdest sayings that have ever been suggested for Sweethearts. Maybe they will listen to their consumers and go back to the original ones. Bummer! The new flavors are so gross. YUCK! I know that may sound obsessive, but I really looked forward to V Day, mostly because of the Sweethearts. I am a big fan of NECCO candy. I tried these. Wish I would have read this review BEFORE I tried these! The candy gained popularity with the name Sweethearts and over time, the candy sayings have changed based on pop culture. I too went to about 4 different stores before I realized that the one candy I wait for all year has been changed, and I cant believe it. Hopefully I will be able to track down some bags with the original candy hearts that I love. PLEASE PLEASE return to the original flavors. These do not show I care these show that I have no regard for my lover or friends expectations of what a heart shaped candy should taste like. Jackie Hague should be fired, as she obviously did not do her research. I will be making trip to dollar tree today to get the original. It makes her seem to be a real human being, and humans do make mistakes. Necco just cut out a huge market of customers! It would be helpful to take the letter and respond line-by-line at the problems with each statement. Simply put, theyre a mess. heartbroken on 1/25/10 at 8:57 am, Comment by candy wolf on 1/30/10 at 5:30 am, Comment by (They did make 8 billion a year of the old ones, SOMEONE must have liked them.). The new flavors are terrible. The company should rethink their changes. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 10 Gorgeous Birthstone Jewelry Pieces for Every Birth Month, Sales on Valentines Gifts for Your Platonic Palentine, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Ashley Worrall, brand manager of Spangler Candy. I looks like they printed on the original recipe just fine! Sincerely, Allison Robicelli has nearly 20 years of professional experience in the worlds of food, lifestyle and parenting. Download Embed Transcript Enlarge this image The new sayings for Sweethearts candy were chosen from a consumer contest. Hey Baby, Smile, Sweet Love, Dream Big, You Rock, Puppy Love, Meet Me, Love Me, Hug Me, Kiss Me, For Ever, Ask Me, even Marry Me. http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3ieea0d35bc59ea6b980fa7144a0299be8#2, Join the save our Conversation Hearts on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=263418497909http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=263418497909. I just saw this article in Brandweek about the visionary who came up with the new Sweethearts for Necco. Made with a pinch of sass, more than a lump of sugar, and a dose of corn, the little sweets have become traditional for Valentine's Day. I hope someone loses their job for this and the GOOD flavors are back in 2011! So, thank you for your feedback and please stick with us. P Powers on 1/22/10 at 5:59 am, Comment by If this is some type of awful advice from a branding company, you have been overcharged (Im sure) and snowed. The factory stamps and prints about 6 billion Sweethearts a year. I just picked up some of these, planning on doing a TBB post on them soon. The top picks? love is dead. YUK! I, too, am traumatized by the change in my favorite Valentines Day candy. I am glad I found this siteits not me, its the NEW hearts. I cant believe it Why not keep the classic and create a new box of new flavors for those who are seeking something different? Not this year. I was also going to email NECCO, but have not yet. I feel better knowing Im not alone. Also, check our mysweethearts.com for free recipe ideas and craft projects. This is just deeply wrong on every level. By Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, everyone's favorite Valentine non-chocolate candy, Sweethearts Candies, is. Kathy on 2/01/10 at 10:43 am, Comment by Awful Disappointing WHY??? *crossing fingers and toes in hopes they have them!*. Teresa on 1/24/10 at 10:12 am, Comment by Mr. Antonellis has been promoted to Chairman of the Board. wietog on 1/20/10 at 8:31 am, Comment by 5) YOUR COMPANY NAME IS MISSING. Even my children threw them out. If I wanted Tart Id buy the SweeTart hearts. Yuck, yuck, yuck!!! So I went on a search for the original Necco sweetheart candies to find that they were nowhere to be found. PLEASE CONTACT NECCO! Im also calling the company to complain. Theyre just in the old packaging and dont have the new mottoes on the, but they were made for the 2010 season. I want the old ones back! From the time I find them on the store shelves to the end of the season Im always picking up multiple bags to enjoy myself and share with grandkids, friends and co-workers. I like more chalk, less flavor. No, they dont taste like something people should put in their mouths. These new flavors included sour apple, strawberry, and "spring fresh." The changes to the flavors and messages were unpopular with some fans. Thank you for writing to Necco, I wanted to personally thank you for all of your input on our new Sweethearts. The company also releases new candy heart sayings every year, each based on a central theme. The following items have been commented on most recently: Dum-Dums Holiday Pops (Limited Edition)(1), Candyology 101 - Episode 37 - Lemonheads(3), M&Ms Boo-tterscotch (Target Exclusive)(15), Ask Umbra - an advice column for environmentalists at Grist magazine, Baking Bites - Nicole's recipes and real-world kitchen, Chowhound - straight talk from your fellow eaters mouths, The Girl Who Ate Everything - Robyn's tireless documentation of food, The Impulsive Buy - Marvo's reviews of things, food and sometimes sweets, Not Martha - crafts and adventures with a good dose of candy, Taquitos - over 5,000 reviews of snackfoods (mostly chips), Comment by Jonathan Patrick on 2/01/10 at 2:54 pm, Comment by Not this year. Candy Critic - an exhaustive site of candy reviews from Canada, Collecting Candy - Jason shares his immense collection of candy wrappers and historical perspective to confectionery, The Candy Enthusiast - Sera's intricate notes & fabulous pictures of candy from around the world, Candy Gurus - Matty, Scotty & Jonny put candy to the test - it can be harsh but all done with love, Candy Professor - Yes, a real professor writes about candy and its place in American history, Candy Yum Yum - Patti's thoughts on candy as a writer and professional taste tester, Chocablog - UK based group blog with chocolate reviews from all over Europe. Looks like Ill try to hit up the Dollar General, too. Carol Morris on 1/27/10 at 3:45 pm, Comment by IM SO MAD! Anyway my over 40 years of hearts has ended. I enjoyed filling a large glass container with four bags of Conversation Hearts at Valtentines Day. Heather on 2/01/10 at 7:19 pm, Comment by Whew! wietog on 1/20/10 at 6:36 am, Comment by I agree about the new ones being crap, I just saw today that the old ones are no longer in the stores. Then when I started to eat them, I thought the blue raspberry must have contaminated the whole bag because they were ALL AWFUL then discovered they had changed every flavor. Wintergreen is no longer Oh, yuck! I bought them but didnt open them, just tossing them on my pile for review. I was appalled. Maybe theyll bring back Classic Sweethearts. They ALL carried the new gross stuff. Jackie Hague sucks. Ive always been a fan of NECCO and have always disliked Brachs (those are too chalky in my opinion). I threw out 7.89 boxes. Whats next? I am excited to hear that the Dollar Tree has the old brand, though! I just bought 2 bags of Sweetheart conversation hearts and found these complaints before I ate any. Here?s more information about all of our exciting changes: If Id known you had punched up all the chemicals, I would never have wasted a dollar on these. I look forward to the Necco conversations hearts every year. Duncan on 1/16/10 at 1:29 pm, Comment by I actually like it. The taste is just sick and the after taste may be even worse. The color of the hearts were changed to match the flavors so people could tell what flavor they were eating before they even tried them. 1-selling nonchocolate Valentine's Day candy. What was nice about Necco Sweethearts was the subtle sweet flavors, nothing exciting, they were simply pleasant. What a disappointment this year to find a new package with different flavors - they dont even taste good. All I see are the new dazzled ones. ?One of the ways we preserve the Sweethearts tradition Americans have enjoyed throughout this century, is by not tampering with what works.? I asked my 10 year old granddaughter to try them. I love - well take that back - used to love to eat these things, I will never put their conversation hearts in my mouth again!! - they are HORRIBLE!! Return the product, write to them or call. now the only ones i will eat are pink and purple. They have been replaced. Chocolate is the close second after the green ones. I even wrote to NECCO asking where their candy was being sold. And the blue ones poisoned all the rest of the hearts with their strong smell. Customer Correspondent, EG - thanks for posting that. I have to go find something to get the taste out of my mouth! I understand Neccos desire to try something new, as our world often encourages stepping out and trying new things. In this case, its the new VPM Jackie Hague, Im assuming. Necco also messed up the wafers by taking out the green ones, which were my favorite! . Neefer on 2/02/10 at 5:16 am, Comment by NEECO NEEDS TO BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL FLAVORS! Thank you again for writing. The color of the hearts were changed to match the flavors so people could tell what flavor they were eating before they even tried them. christine on 1/20/10 at 6:27 am, Comment by "They kind of taste like Pepto-Bismol a little bit.". (Now, I wouldve been thrilled if the conversation hearts were also going to be all natural, what an awesome innovation that would have been.). Vince D on 1/19/10 at 8:45 am, Comment by Well, I saw the Twilight conversation hearts last night at Target. My kids loved these for years. Someone please help! And the messages are traditional and nice, kind of nostalgic and feel good type candy! The Necco websites Sweethearts product page used to say this, One thing Sweetheart lovers can count on each year is the candys simple, familiar formula. I saw blueberry listed as one of the flavors. So, I was excited to finally get my FAVORITE candy of the year and popped a yellow and pink(my favorite flavors) in my mouth and about died!! I didnt buy these two days ago at a local market because I thought that the store had just purchased a different product. katelyn on 1/22/10 at 8:19 pm, Comment by If you are looking for something to share with the little girls in your life be sure to check out our new Sweethearts Dazzled Tarts with flavors including: Pink Lemonade, Wild Berry Grape, Sour Apple, Watermelon, Extreme Tangerine and Blue Raspberry. At least this Valentines day candy wont be a total loss. Facebook group created about this topic also.. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=278253055199. Ok, thats 3 words, but it warrants it. Jeff Green, Vice President of Innovation at the company, who basically is the candy guru there, came up with the new formulas. And our little 1oz boxes are now slightly smaller with no window, to be more sustainable and easier to handle for tiny kid hands. I have three words for you. I see there is more than one place on Amazone where theyre selling the candies. 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