Oct 27, 2009 7:17 am US/Eastern
NECCO's New Recipe Gets Back To Basics
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
-
-
The new wafers are more muted, and the color green is missing.
WBZ
For more than 160 years, Necco wafers have remained the same. Same ingredients, same look, same taste. But now that's about to change.
"We've taken the fake things out," said Necco President and CEO Rich Krause.
The Revere company will no longer use artificial colors or flavors in its wafers.
Krause says it's in response to concerned mothers.
"Anything from 40 million moms out there, whose children are having some behavioral or learning disabilities, ADHD, some of this has been tied to some of the ingredients people are using."
Changing recipes that have been around more than a century is no small task.
Jeff Green, Vice President of Innovation at the company, who basically is the candy guru there, came up with the new formulas.
He ended up using natural ingredients like red beets and purple cabbage to achieve the right colors.
"Some were easier to place than others," he said.
"Some we had to go through much iteration of flavors before we could find the right one."
There is a noticeable difference in the colors.
The eight original wafers are much brighter and richer in color.
The new wafers are more muted, and there's one color missing.
"Green," said Krause. "We could flavor it but we couldn't find a natural green color."
We asked candy lovers what they thought of the new Necco wafers.
One told us, "Yeah, I think it tastes better actually."
Ariel Sasso of Cambridge said she found no taste of beets or cabbage in her Necco at all.
"It tastes like cinnamon," she said.
Katie Jenkins of Brighton said she would consider buying an all-natural candy over one with artificial ingredients.
"I would yes …it makes it more appealing," she said.
The new Necco wafers are more expensive to produce but the company says it is not raising the price.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments