Here in the US, Smarties are an entirely different candy: small, tablet-shaped but concave instead of convex, in pastel colors, and with nothing but clear cellophane for packaging. They come in stacks of 10 or 12 candies wrapped in the cellophane with each end of the wrap twisted, so that you can pull on the two ends like a "cracker" until all the candy pops out and rolls all over the place.

Here's a picture from the Smarties (US) website www.smartiesstore.com: http://store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-58653162205018_1831_81581

But I sympathize with those of you mourning the demise of the packaging for your version of Smarties. Sometimes I think they pick the focus groups for these things the way they pick juries: not to eliminate bias but to predestine the group's decision.

I'm still upset that Hershey took away the almonds from the tops of the 5th Avenue bars. And don't even get me started about when the makers of Starbursts stopped making the lime ones!!!!