YOU could almost hear a collective sigh of relief when White Rabbit Creamy Candy, that milky Chinese New Year staple, was declared safe for consumption.

Two weeks ago, reports said the made-in-China product was suspected of containing formaldehyde - a chemical used in embalming bodies - but it has since received the all-clear from the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority.

It was good news to fans like undergraduate Noella Lim, 19, who has been eating the chewy candy since she was four.

'They're super creamy, and I love tearing out that thin rice paper and pasting it on my tongue,' she says.

Indeed, while Singaporeans are constantly bombarded by new snacks and candy in the market, decades-old products are still hitting the spot.

Mr Tyrone Teng, director of Hock Lam, a distributor of White Rabbit, Hacks, Lobster Peanut Crisps and Haw Flakes products across South-east Asia, says these nostalgic sweets are still quite popular.

'They're familiar to consumers and they are easily recognisable by their packaging,' he says.

Located in Hong Lim Complex in Upper Cross Street, Hock Lam has sold these brands since 1957.

A quick check by LifeStyle revealed that at least three more shops sell goodies such as peanut cakes in Hong Kong Street and Arab Street.

Sweets such as Hacks and Hudson's are also widely available in major supermarkets like NTUC Fairprice and Giant Hypermart, as well as provision stores. Peanut crisps and peanut cakes, however, are harder to find.

Nostalgia is the main draw for the babyboomer generation.

Says hairstylist Fiona Wong, 48: 'These sweets bring back such fond memories of my childhood. I remember arguing with my siblings over who got to eat the blackcurrant-flavoured Roundtree Fruit Pastille and eating peanut cake between two slices of bread.'

Marketing manager Lim Teck Yan, 51, adds: 'Hacks is something I've been eating since I was really young.'

Undergraduate Leong Su Zhen, 19, says: 'These older sweets are cheaper than Ricola but just as satisfying.'

Looks like the old sweets are here to stay.

Candy Land

WHITE RABBIT CREAMY CANDIES

These chewy sweets made of milk, butter, cane sugar and corn starch syrup are wrapped in a thin layer of rice paper. They have been a common treat since the 1960s and are popular in Chinatowns all over the world. They are now also available in chocolate, strawberry and red bean flavours.

Price: Three for 10 cents in provision shops

PEANUT CAKE

Imported from Kuala Lumpur, peanut cake is made of peanut kernels, white sugar and malt sugar. In the 1970s, children used to eat it between two slices of white bread as a snack.

Price: $1 at provision shops

HUDSON'S

These hardened sweets come in four flavours: eumenthol, lime, honey lemon and spearmint. They're usually eaten by adults to soothe scratchy throats. Developed by dentist George Ingliss Hudson in Australia, Hudson's have been manufactured in Malaysia since 1969.

Price: $1 for a packet of 30 at provision shops

HACKS

Imported from Malaysia, this hardened sweet is available in three flavours: blackcurrant, honey lemon and regular. The blackcurrant flavour is a favourite among children.

Price: $1 for a packet of 30 at provision shops

FRUITIPS

Made in Britain, each tube of sugar-coated chewy fruit pastilles come with five flavours - blackcurrant, strawberry, orange, lemon and lime - which are arranged randomly inside.

Price: $1.20 per tube at Hock Lam, Hong Lim Complex

LOBSTER PEANUT CRISP

Made of ground peanuts covered with a thin layer of glazed sugar, this Malaysian snack is usually eaten during Chinese New Year.

Price: $3 at Hock Lam

HAW FLAKES

Made from the fruit of Chinese hawthorn, haw flakes are imported from China and have a tangy taste. The cat on the plastic wrapper is a registered trademark.

Price: $1 to $2 at provision shops

CHOCOLATE GOLD COIN

Imported from China, this chocolate coin usually makes its appearance in red packets during Chinese New Year or are given out at Malay weddings.

Price: $1 each at provision shops

PRESERVED OLIVES

Also known as 'kana' in Chinese, preserved olives are popular as snacks. Many varieties are imported from China.

Price: 80 cents per bundle at provision shops

DANHUA CAKE

Made of ground peanuts and covered with crispy egg pastry, these made-in-China snacks have recently been updated with the introduction of seaweed and sesame seed flavours.

Price: About $2, at provision shops and Hock Lam