Source: CandyStore.com

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, but something is missing: SweetHearts. Possibly one of the most well-known Valentine’s Day candies, a shortage of Necco’s SweetHearts have caused these conversation hearts to disappear from the shelves. The trouble began in the summer of 2018 when the New England Confectionery Company, or Necco, shutdown after filing bankruptcy. This shutdown halted all production of Necco’s candies including their famous conversation hearts, meaning that Necco’s SweetHearts will be almost impossible to find this year.

This is a disappointment as SweetHearts are a very popular and iconic Valentine’s day candy. In fact, before it shut down, Necco was producing billions of SweetHearts every year. Some people love them because of the taste, but many love them because of their nostalgic value and the memories they bring back of elementary school. SweetHearts aren’t always the favorite though, with some complaining that they taste chalky or have an odd flavor. Luckily for those who love the candy, Necco’s SweetHearts will return next year. The company was bought by Spangler Candy Co. who have announced that they will restart SweetHeart production for the 2020 Valentine’s day season. For those looking for the candy this Valentine’s Day there are many other brands who sell their own conversation hearts, such as Brach’s Conversation Hearts. Some Necco SweetHearts can also be found online, but many of them were produced before July, 2018.

Even without SweetHearts, Valentine’s Day still has many other popular treats. From chocolate-covered strawberries to fun-dip there are many options for Valentine’s Day candy. In Maryland the most popular are the pink and white Valentine’s day M&Ms(Most Popular Valentine’s Day Candy by State). To see which were the most popular at the school we interviewed the students of Urbana High to find the best Valentine’s Day candy. The most popular seemed to be Lindor’s Valentine’s Day truffles with a majority of student picking these as their favorite Valentine’s day candy. The truffles come in flavors from red velvet to strawberries and creme. The second most popular candy were assorted heart shaped chocolates and the third most popular were Ferrero Rocher, hazelnut chocolates. Although, there may not be any SweetHearts this year these candies may be the next best thing.