Das Tagebuch Murnaus

Normally I wouldn't post this, but I remember visiting this chocolate factory in Smiths Falls Ontario when I was 9 years old. They walked us around huge tubs of molten chocolate and gave us all a tiny half-ounce bar at the end. The best field trip I ever had in school.

Hershey's factory remains closed as investigation continues
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 | 11:56 AM ET
CBC News

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is continuing its investigation into a salmonella outbreak at a Hershey chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, Ont., officials said Tuesday.

"There's been no change since yesterday, the plant is still closed," said CFIA spokesman Garfield Balsom on Tuesday. "We have conducted a recall of the affected product as of early Sunday morning and the investigation is still ongoing."

The company, which employs 500 workers, shut down production and issued a recall of 25 products after a routine inspection inside the plant detected salmonella last Thursday. Company officials said they believe an ingredient from an outside supplier may have caused the contamination.

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I bought a roll of these when I was in Seattle. They don't appear to sell them in Canada any more. Here is some of what I learned about them, from http://www.necco.com/neccofun.htm:

1. NECCO Wafer rolls contain 8 flavors and colors: lemon (yellow); orange (orange); lime (green); clove (purple); cinnamon (white); wintergreen (pink); licorice (black); and chocolate (brown).
[I'll tell you though, I have had trouble distinguishing clove from licorice. But top marks to any company that has clove-flavored anything these days!]

2. In very low humidity NECCO Wintergreen Wafers spark in the dark when broken.
[This is an effect called triboluminescence, and is more complicated than you would think. An account of the chemical processes involved, and why this effect is most noticeable with wintergreen flavoured candy, is given at http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_129]

3. NECCO Wafer Rolls have always been a naturally fat and sodium free product.

4. In excess of 4 billion NECCO Wafers are sold each year. This is enough to completely encircle the world twice if placed edge to edge.

5. Over 120 NECCO Wafers are consumed every second of every day throughout the entire year.

6. In the 1930's Admiral Byrd took 2 1/2 tons of NECCO Wafers to the South Pole, practically a pound a week for each of his men during their 2 year stay in the Antarctic.
[Hope he got a good kickback for that. Someone told me that some Canadian climbers were planning to climb Mount Logan, way up at the corner where BC, Yukon and Alaska meet, and the best food they could think of to take with them was Pringle's Potato Chips. These apparently contain the highest ratio of fat and starch (which you actually need when climbing a 19,000 foot mountain) to weight, and yet don't freeze.]

I have to say also that one thing that I like about Necco wafers is the packaging - simple waxed paper and unassuming graphic design. Nothing fancy, no plastic or tinfoil.