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Candy IndustryCandy ManufacturersCandy Industry News

Necco wafers returning to shelves this summer

Spangler Candy Co. purchased the brand, equipment in 2018.

By Alyse Thompson-Richards
Necco wafers
Photo from Spangler Candy Co.
May 28, 2020

After a nearly two-year hiatus, Necco wafers are returning to store shelves this summer, Spangler Candy Co. announced Thursday.

The Ohio-based company released a list of 32 retailers that will carry the nostalgic treats starting in June and July, including Cracker Barrel, CVS, Dollar General, Kroger and Walgreens.

"Just when comfort food is experiencing a resurgence, Necco wafers are back with that very kind of familiar, comfortable feeling we all seem to be craving," said Kirk Vashaw, CEO of Spangler Candy Co. "We are delighted to bring Necco Wafers back into production and to share in their sweet return with fans old and new."

Spangler said the Necco wafer recipe has remained “essentially unchanged,” though fans may detect a richer cocoa flavor in the chocolate wafers as a result of a minor improvement to the cooking process. The other seven original colors and flavors remain: Lemon (yellow), Lime (green), Orange (orange), Clove (light purple), Cinnamon (white), Wintergreen (pink) and Licorice (dark grey).

Vashaw told TODAY the wax paper roll packaging also remains unchanged, with Spangler using the same supplier. The wafers are being produced in a facility in Mexico.

"We know fans have been waiting anxiously for the return of Necco wafers and anticipate high demand,” Vashaw said. “Our production lines will continue to run as fast as possible to keep stores in-stock.”

Created by The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), Necco wafers have been enjoyed for more than a century. Spangler noted Civil War soldiers carried them, and in 1913, explorer Donald MacMillan took them on his Arctic expeditions.

Necco wafers went to the South Pole in the 1930s, and during World War II, the U.S. government requisitioned a major portion of Necco wafer production since they’re portable and don’t melt while being shipped overseas.

Spangler Candy Co. bought the Necco brand and equipment in September 2018, a couple months after the original auction winners, Round Hill Investments, abruptly shut the embattled NECCO’s doors. Spangler also purchased the Sweethearts brand, which made an initial return to market for Valentine’s Day.

KEYWORDS: NECCO product reintroduction Spangler Candy Co.

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Alyse thompson 200px
Alyse Thompson-Richards has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry magazine in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois, becoming managing editor in March 2019. Alyse has also served as managing editor of Cannabis Products magazine since March 2019, and is currently the editor-in-chief of Food Engineeering magazine. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University.

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