An Otago confectionery company has not ruled out creating its own alternative to the beloved orange treat it has dubbed an "iconic Kiwi favourite".
RJ’s Confectionery announced on Tuesday the sweet was being discontinued indefinitely, citing declining sales.
Rainbow Confectionery general manager Brent Baillie said they were sad to see the "iconic" product taken away from New Zealand consumers.
"Jaffas are as much of a cultural symbol to New Zealand confectionery lovers as Snifters were and their supporters will be left feeling a bit put out."
It was a sign of the times, as excessive manufacturing costs had "severely impacted" the options to produce products that were not sold on volume.
"This is just another example in a long line of departed iconic Kiwi favourites."
There was no "real alternative" to the product on the market, he said.
Jaffas were originally produced by Australia’s James Stedman-Henderson’s Sweets Ltd, in 1931.
In 2018, Levin-based RJ’s Confectionery announced the signing of a deal with Mondelez International to take over the manufacturing and production of the sweet.
That followed the closure of Mondelez’s Dunedin factory months earlier, which produced its New Zealand Cadbury’s products.
The city’s annual Jaffas race down Baldwin St was last held in 2017.
