Food Flashback: Planters Cheez Balls
Planters Cheez Balls were a cheesy, crunchy snack that came in a distinctive canister. They were a staple snack in the ’90s and early 2000s but were discontinued in 2006.
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The snack had a lot of devotees that started a petition to bring them back. It’s pretty clear that this cheesy snack still holds a special place in the hearts and taste buds of many.
Feast of Flavors: Tangerine Altoids
Tangerine Altoids were delicious bursts of sweet and sour tangerine candies that hit the market in 2004 and were discontinued in 2010 due to low demand.
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Although they may be gone from store shelves, they live on in the memories of those who enjoyed them during their heyday, reminding us of the ever-changing food and beverage industry landscape.
Flavor Blast from the Past: Fruit-Shaped Trix
The fruit-shaped Trix was a crowd-pleaser that emerged in 1991. It was the first fruit-flavored cereal that was colorful and fun. Trix came in five different shapes, a red raspberry cluster, yellow lemon wedge, purple grape cluster, green lime ball, and orange ball.
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The last year people could enjoy these unique snacks was 2006.
Tantalizing Throwback: Oreo O’s Cereal
Oreo O’s was a beloved cereal featuring real cookie pieces mixed with chocolate-flavored cereal. Post Cereals introduced it in the early 2000s and quickly gained a loyal fan following.
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Production of this cereal was stopped in 2007, leaving many breakfast enthusiasts longing for its chocolaty goodness. They can, however, still be found in certain supermarkets in South Korea.
Refreshing Memories: Sprite Remix
Sprite Remix was introduced in 2003 by the Coca-Cola company. The drink was a colorless, caffeine-free lemon-lime soda available in three flavors: Sprite Tropical Mix, a tropical flavor; Sprite Berryclear Remix, a berry flavor released on April 1st, 2004; and Sprite Aruba Jam Remix, a fruit flavor released in April 2005.
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Although they were based on Sprite, the Remixes were flavored differently from the original. They were, however, discontinued in 2005 due to poor sales.
Gone But Not Forgotten: Haribo Sugar-Free Gummy Bears
Amongst discontinued food and drink items, some were petitioned to be returned, while others relieved many people when they were taken off the shelves. One of the food items that fell into the latter category was Haribo Sugar-Free Gummy Bears.
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The sweet gave many people stomach distress, so it’s safe to say that no one was unhappy to see them go.
Farewell to Flavor: Skittles Bubble Gum
While this candle-flavored gum was only around for two years, it quickly gained a huge following. With Skittles bubble gum, consumers were not only able to taste the rainbow, but also blow bubbles with it. This candy gum debuted in 2004 in colorful flip-top boxes.
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Despite the company’s brilliant marketing slogan, “inflate the rainbow,” the gum was discontinued in 2006.
Yummy Nostalgia: Wonka Bar
This chocolate bar was introduced to the world as a key story point in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Wonka Bars also appeared in both film adaptations of the novel Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Quaker Oats created it in collaboration with the producers of the films.
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Quaker Oats, however, had problems with the formulation of the bars, and they had to stop its production in 2010.
Craving the Past: Surge
The never-ending competition between companies can result in great benefits to consumers. Companies will create a particular product that can compete against their rival company’s successful development. Surge was Coca-Cola’s response to Pepsi’s Mountain Dew and was a citrus-flavored drink.
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Even the marketing strategy, which depicted the “triumph of the human spirit,” was popular back in the day. However, despite its successful run, it was discontinued in 2003 for unknown reasons.
Throwback Treats: Dunkaroos
Only people of a certain age will remember the joy of opening their lunch boxes to find a delicious Dunkaroos snack tucked inside. These Dunkaroos were sugar cookies with sugary frosting advertised in commercials by a very energetic kangaroo.
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It was a successful treat amongst sweet-toothed consumers. Unfortunately, the delicious cookies officially disappeared in 2012 due to declining popularity.