Whether you’re nine or 90, odds are you’ve received Sweethearts® Conversation Hearts on Valentine’s Day. After all, there are plenty of the much-loved Sweethearts Conversation Hearts to go around, as the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO®), America’s oldest multi-line candy company, produces eight billion of the sweet treats each Valentine’s Day season.

Sweethearts encountered instant success since first introduced. So, if you are, in fact, a nonagenarian, the colorful hearts were probably as much a part of your childhood as they are for today’s kids. While some of the 100-plus ways of saying “I love you” featured on the hearts have changed, the candy’s formula and the way they are produced at NECCO, remain virtually the same.

“Many of our products have deep historical roots,” said NECCO President Domenic M. Antonellis. “One of the ways we preserve the Sweethearts tradition Americans have enjoyed throughout this century, is by not tampering with what works.”

Nothing brings back feelings of nostalgia like candy. Adults love to recapture the pleasures of their youth, and what better way to relive good old times, than with their favorite candies. Sweethearts Conversation Hearts have been passed down from generation to generation, and that is the secret to their success.

How a Candy Icon Got Started
The concept of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, originally called Motto Hearts, dates back to the late 1800’s when printed sayings on colored paper were placed in “Cockles,” small crisp candies formed in the shape of a scalloped shell. In 1866, Daniel Chase, brother of Oliver Chase, who founded NECCO in 1847, invented the process, which allows the sayings to be printed directly on the candy.

The modern Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, which have become an American icon, dates back to the early 1900’s. Cut in various shapes, such as postcards, baseballs or horseshoes and embossed with curlicues, the original hearts had room for much longer sayings, enabling would-be lovers to send messages such as “Please send a lock of your hair by return mail,” or “How long shall I have to wait? Pray be considerate.”

“Today’s sayings have to be short and sweet,” said Lory Zimbalatti, NECCO’s marketing manager. Some of the original sayings still used today include “Be Mine,” “Be Good,” “Be True,” “My Man,” “Kiss Me” and “Sweet Talk.”

In the early 1990’s, NECCO decided to add new sayings each year. Thousands of suggestions are compiled every year from romantics, candy lovers and school kids around the globe. “People have a genuine interest in the heart sayings and look forward to each year’s new introductions,” said Zimbalatti. “Some old-school romantics have been slow to embrace the new sayings, but on the whole, our fans welcome the updates.”

One thing Sweethearts lovers can count on each year is the candy’s simple formula. Since the hearts inception, the recipe has remained basically unchanged. Both Sweethearts Conversation Hearts and the familiar NECCO wafers use the same batter: 90 percent sugar, a dash of corn syrup, gelatin, gums, and artificial colors and flavorings. Once the dough is rolled out, imprinted with a saying and then stamped out in the familiar heart-shape, it goes through a 45-minute drying cycle to reach its semi-hard consistency.

To meet the demand for its Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, NECCO produces approximately eight billion candies throughout the year. The entire production – more than 100,000 pounds a day – sells out in just six weeks. Plants in Louisiana and Wisconsin supplement the candies made at the Revere, Mass. plant.