Resisting the understandable urge to adhere to an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, international candy manufacturer Nestlé recently reformulated its secret recipe for Nestlé Crunch, a move guaranteed to create interest among the milk-chocolate-and-crispy-rice confection’s many dedicated devotees.

“Nestlé lets fans of all ages feel like kids again, so you can bet they have definite opinions about what we’ve changed in our secret recipe,” noted Tricia Bowles, a spokeswoman for Nestlé Confections & Snacks at Glendale, Calif.-based Nestlé USA, a division of the largest food company in the world, Nestle S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland. “Some firmly believe we’ve made the milk chocolate more intense and rich, while others are equally confident that the rice crispies are packed with more crunch than ever before.”

The recipe change to the venerable product, which has been around since 1938, was first revealed on the Nestlé Crunch 800 number, and has since garnered 400,000 calls from fans.

The company also maintains contact with the candy’s enthusiasts through a Web site, NestleCrunch.com, and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NestleCrunch.

While Nestlé reports that consumer reaction for the new and improved taste of its namesake Crunch bar has been overwhelmingly positive, the specter of a “New Coke” experience inherently looms over any reformulation of a well-known product. It certainly helps that Nestlé Crunch, although highly popular, is nowhere near as ubiquitous as Coke. Most important, though, is that the update is perceived by consumers as really being for the better, and not just change for the sake of it. Otherwise, consumer product companies eager to shake things up in the aisles may usher in an unwanted kind of brand reinvention, as shoppers stay away from the reformulated item in droves.