What Happened To Nestle Magic Balls?
If you happen to be a kid of the '90s or just love nostalgic things, then you've probably been in heaven lately with all of the revival snacks hitting the shelves again. From the re-emergence of Trix Yogurt to a slight update to the beloved Waffle Crisps cereal, the '90s are making a strong comeback. For many people — especially millennials — that's not a bad thing. Though we might not be in a rush to go back to wearing frosted hair tips or JUNCO jeans any time soon, seeing so many of our favorite things from the '90s make a comeback might make you think about the ones that aren't around anymore. And chocolaty snacks like the Nestle Magic Balls might be on that list, too.
If the era of the Nestle Magic Balls is too far back for you to remember, Bustle notes that the magical candy was distributed in the mid-90s and "consisted of three grams of hollow milk chocolate." Inside of each sphere of chocolatey goodness was a small toy that often shifted between a Disney or Pokémon character. Finding extreme popularity amongst kids of all ages, Nestle Magic Balls became a staple in many households in America. That's why when they were abruptly pulled from shelves in 1997, a lot of people were left wondering just what happened to Nestle Magic Balls.
Nestle Magic Balls became quite controversial
Nestle Magic Balls may have been one of the top treats for '90s kids, but according to The Los Angeles Times, it was actually quite controversial, and it wasn't because of the chocolate. An October 1997 article published by the news outlet noted that Nestle made the decision to stop selling the chocolate-covered plastic balls due to "an unresolved technical, legal problem" that related to a federal law from 1938 that prohibited "non-nutritive objects" placed inside candies. The candy and company, however, received a high amount of backlash as there were "a dozen incidents in which children reportedly had gagged on the toys." And this is what is believed to be the actual reason why the company discontinued the ball.
Just three short years later, however, Nestle released the controversial candy once again under a new name — Wonder Ball — and instead of a toy on the inside, opted for more candy (via Bustle). The product lasted on shelves for four years and then after a change in its parent company (it was sold to Frankford Candy Co.), Nestle discontinued it.
According to BuzzFeed though, Wonder Ball was revived in 2017 and is now available to indulge in yet again. And for those of you wondering if it's exactly the same type of setup as it was before being discontinued over a decade ago, the Wonder Ball site reveals that there are now three varieties to please your palate. How's that for a revival?