New Brunswick has undergone many changes in recent years. Population boom. Housing crisis. Strange and controversial new names for united communities.
But sometimes the change just goes too far: like what some call the soft and mushy reformulation of the Pal-O-Mine bar, produced by St. Stephen-based Ganong in the 1920s.
Pal-O-Mine, sold in yellow and red packaging in italics, consists of two pieces of brown sugar covered with dark chocolate and pieces of peanuts. This is “one of the oldest continuously produced candies in North America,” according to the manufacturer.
The yellow and red cover advertises the bar as a “1920s original.” Some critics say the latest iterations of the tape bear little resemblance to the original they remember. (Julia Wright / CBC)
Although the signature, super-sweet taste has always had its detractors – “sugars” are listed as the top five main ingredients of the bar – this has not stopped New Brunswickers from enjoying them for more than a century. Much like Ganon’s chicken bones.
“It’s unique. “It’s one of those things you long for,” said St. John Darye Stevees, 66. “It simply came to our notice then. It had to be Pal-O-Mine.
“I don’t remember a time without them.”
“soft and porridge”
But the time-tested texture, which west of St. John Heather McBriarty describes as “hard, sandy, crystallized sugar mash,” has recently been replaced by a filling that some find “very soft and mushy.”
When he took the bar a few weeks ago, McBriarty said he immediately noticed it was kind of sticky. It’s not such a nice, hard fudge texture. “
Steve said Pal-O-Mines seemed almost impossible to get for months – and when they returned to store shelves, he “immediately realized something was wrong.”
If they had called it something else and I ate it, I might have said, “Oh, it’s okay.” – Daryl Steve, a lifelong Pal-O-Mine user
“It didn’t look right. It was evenly square, the chocolate changed. It just wasn’t Pal-O-Mine. If they called it something else and ate it, maybe I would say, “Well, it’s all right.
“It’s almost like a thick, caramel texture.”
The interior of the Pal-O-Mine has recently shifted from what consumers describe as a “hard, sandy” blend to a “soft, caramel-like filling that Ganong attributes to a ‘change in production process.’ (Julia Wright / CBC)
Steve’s observations were confirmed when he posted about the bar on social media, gathering dozens of outraged responses.
“Certainly other people have noticed,” he said. “I have friends in the West who said they were just disgusted by it.”
The bars have been “reformulated,” Ganong said
In response to a query from CBC News, Ganong confirmed that the bar has indeed changed.
“Our Pal-O-Mine Bars have been reformulated due to a change in production processes,” Ganong said in a statement.
“The formula is very similar, with the biggest change being the texture. The current formula really has a creamy texture compared to a bar of sugar. We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to improve our products. ”
Ganong did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on what in particular had changed in the production process.
Candy dispute
Ganong became famous for controversy in 2019 when it discontinued its classic white and pink evergreen mint with double thickness. In response to popular demand, the coins were later returned to a limited edition collector’s box.
“When you have a classic and it’s something that people expect, a radical change in the formula takes away the uniqueness and nostalgia of this particular chocolate,” said McBrighty.
“For the past 100 years, Pal-o-Mine has been shared with friends and family across Canada,” according to the candy maker’s website, to which avid candy fans like Steves have only one answer.
“Please be Pal-O-Mine and fix it,” he said.
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