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Saved In The NECCO Time! Bankrupt Candy Company Sold At Federal Auction

Workers sort NECCO Wafers at the New England Confectionery Co. in Revere, Mass. The Ohio-based Spangler Candy Company made the winning bid for NECCO, which filed for bankruptcy in early April. Scott Eisen/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Eisen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Salt

Saved In The NECCO Time! Bankrupt Candy Company Sold At Federal Auction

May 24, 2018 • The 171-year-old New England Confectionery Co. — known for its iconic wafers and Valentine hearts with witty phrases — was sold to the family-owned Ohio-based Spangler Candy Company for $18 million.

Toxic. Sour. Atomic. Why We Love To Hate Gross Candy

NPR intern Kevin Garcia endures the sour taste of Warheads hard candy. Why are we tempted by candy that pretends to be made of hazardous chemicals, that threatens to nuke our taste buds, or that dares us to be disgusted? Photo illustration by Josh Loock/NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration by Josh Loock/NPR

The Salt

Toxic. Sour. Atomic. Why We Love To Hate Gross Candy

October 30, 2017 • Candy is supposed to be sweet and delicious. So why are we tempted by candy that pretends to be made of hazardous chemicals, that threatens to nuke our tastebuds, or that dares us to be disgusted?

These Old-Timey Philly Candies Offer A Taste Of Politics Past

A clear toy donkey in blue will join elephants in red on the shelves at Shane Confectionery during the Democratic National Convention. Emma Lee/WHYY hide caption

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Emma Lee/WHYY

The Salt

These Old-Timey Philly Candies Offer A Taste Of Politics Past

WHYY

July 28, 2016 • Clear toy candies are a centuries-old local tradition. With the Democratic convention in town, an old-school candy maker is peddling some with a political bent. Think lollipop meets Mount Rushmore.

Tainted Treats: Racism And The Rise Of Big Candy

Women operate a gum-wrapping machine, circa 1923. It was a pivotal decade in the rise of America's retail candy business. Underwood & Underwood/Corbis hide caption

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Underwood & Underwood/Corbis

The Salt

Tainted Treats: Racism And The Rise Of Big Candy

October 30, 2015 • Halloween's iconic candy corn first appeared in stores in the 1920s. The decade saw a boom in the retail candy business — and in advertising and production divided along racial lines.