Every single one of us remembers the elementary school Valentine's Day complete with candied messages. The reason is simple. They've been around since 1866 -- until now.
In case you haven't noticed, SweetHearts are not on the shelves of your local grocery store. You can't find a small box of them at the drug store. This innovative candy is gone.
Created by the New England Confectionery Company, which is widely considered to be the country's first candy company, Necco's heart "mottoes" were more than a sweet treat. They were a means of expression in a bygone era.
"A young gentleman said it with candy," says Louis Untermeyer in a book released in 1947 to commemorate Necco's 100th anniversary. "Instead of driving up to his girl's doorway and honking his horn furiously, he ceremoniously paid a Sunday evening visit [and] presented her with an elaborately wrapped candy gift box... He would press the important piece of candy into her hand."
Will you be mine?
Apparently not in 2019. Necco went out of business last May because of a series of violations from the FDA. The agency found "significant evidence of rodent activity" including rat droppings that were "too numerous to count." Even worse, "a dead rodent which measured approximately 12 inches in length" was noted in the FDA report.
The jury is still out on whether or not the candy manufacturer (or an appealing suitor) will bring back SweetHearts in 2020. In the meantime, Be Good.
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