Cherry Blossom candies are being discontinued, leaving many Canadians in 'mourning' and some saying 'finally'

Cherry Blossom lovers should probably start mourning, while those who despise the sweet cherry-filled chocolate treat might have a good reason to jump with joy. Hershey Canada confirmed on Friday the iconic yellow boxes will soon no longer be on grocery store shelves.

The company has yet to announce an official end date for the iconic yellow boxes that have lived in Canadian shops for decades. However, it reportedly plans to discontinue the candies in early 2025.

It's a move that's been controversial, as some Canadians rejoice they'll never have to encounter the hideous packaging and gross flavour. But for others, it's an end of a decades-long era that's similar to "losing a grandma."

That's what Quebec-based artist Chloé Lalancette, who painted the Cherry Blossom as part of a series, told 24 heueres. She added it was an "untouchable" object that offered a "generational bridge" and a memory for everyone.

Other Canadians were vocal on social media, sharing everything from their hate for the candies to photos of their hauls as they prepare for the treats to be extinct.

"I like them. Never buy them because they're $1.60 each when I can buy a full-sized chocolate bar that's twice the size for $0.99," a TikTok user wrote.

"I never buy them but I'll miss them and feel a void in my life now," another chimed in.

"I thought they'd be on shelves forever," one person quipped.

The making of the Cherry Blossom candy

The Cherry Blossom candy was first introduced in Montreal in the 1890s, when the Canadian subsidiary of the Walter M. Lowney Company — an American candy and chocolate manufacturer founded in 1883 in Boston — first manufactured the candy. A factory had been built in Montreal by 1905, and offices were spread across various Canadian cities.

The Lowney Company would produce the treat until it was bought by Hershey Canada in the 1980s. Eventually, manufacturing moved to Sherbrooke, Que., and later to Ontario, according to the Montreal Gazette.

The individually-wrapped candies consist of a maraschino cherry and cherry syrup enclosed in a chocolate dome. It also features roasted peanuts and shredded coconut in a 45-gram cardboard box that's bright yellow. According to ingredient lists, the Cherry Blossom is also made of:

• Sugar

• Modified palm and vegetable oils

• Modified milk ingredients

• Corn syrup

• Lactose

• Soy lecithin, a vegetable emulsifier to increase creaminess

• Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, an emulsifier often used in chocolate

• Invertase, an enzyme to break down the solid inside the candy

• Natural and artificial flavours

• Salt

• Preservatives including sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulphite, potassium sorbate as well as acetic and citric acids

• Colour

• Sulphites

Nutrition-wise, the Cherry Blossom candy clocks in at 210 calories. It also features 10 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 27 grams of sugar, one gram of fibre, two grams of protein and 40 milligrams of sodium. Compared to other popular chocolate bars like Twix, Kit Kat, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Coffee Crisp and Aero, the Cherry Blossom has the highest quantity of sugar.

Hershey Canada's discontinuation of the Cherry Blossom comes after the Food and Drug Administration announced it was banning the use of red dye No. 3 in the United States. The ingredient has been controversial for years and is used in various medications and foods.

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