Americans spend a lot of their free time watching television and munching on their favorite snacks, reveling in their salty or sweet flavors. That helps explain why the snack and bakery market accounts for more than $100 billion in annual U.S. sales.
If anything, the pandemic and the trend of working from home have provided more opportunities for bound folks to chomp on chips, grab some pretzels, or dunk some cookies in milk. (Not everyone can find them, but these are 16 regional potato chip brands the whole country deserves.)
Not all snacks have stood the test of time, though. 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous snack-food fan pages, company histories, media websites, and rating sites to compile this list of chips, candies, and other such items that have passed into the repository of history.
Many of the snacks that we enjoyed in our younger days are gone because sales failed to match projections, the product didn’t fit into the strategy of a company that bought the snack’s parent, or the public’s tastes shifted toward more healthful options. Some of the products no longer with us are versions of other beloved items that remain on the shelves. (Here are some junk foods that are actually not so bad for you.)
Because of the power of social media and crowd-sourcing platforms like change.org and ipetitions, jilted customers have pestered companies about bringing back beloved snacks. They’ve had some success. Successful consumer clamoring revived 3D Doritos, Dunkaroos, and Oreo Cakesters.
Sometimes the snacks are still made in other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, or Australia, and these may be available by mail order. If the product is not found outside the U.S., collectors also sell unopened packages of the original on eBay and other sites.
Pizza Spins
> Introduced: 1968
> Discontinued: 1975
> Parent company: General Mills
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Marathon Bar
> Introduced: 1973
> Discontinued: 1981
> Parent company: Mars
Reggie! Bars
> Introduced: 1978
> Discontinued: 1982
> Parent company: Wayne Candies
Willy Wonka’s Peanut Butter Oompas
> Introduced: 1971
> Discontinued: 1982 (?)
> Parent company: Quaker Oats
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Gatorgum
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 1989
> Parent company: Fleer Corporation
Life Saver Holes
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: Early 1990s
> Parent company: Nabisco
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Oreo Big Stuf
> Introduced: 1984
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Nabisco
Summit Cookie Bars
> Introduced: 1977
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Mars
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Hostess
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Golden Yangles
> Introduced: 1981
> Discontinued: 1992
> Parent company: Various regional bakers for Girl Scouts
Joey Chips
> Introduced: 1967
> Discontinued: 1992 (?)
> Parent company: General Mills
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Jell-O Pudding Pops
> Introduced: 1982
> Discontinued: 1993
> Parent company: General Foods
PB Max
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: 1994
> Parent company: Mars
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Fruit Wrinkles
> Introduced: 1986
> Discontinued: 1995 (?)
> Parent company: Betty Crocker (General Mills)
Jumpin’ Jack Cheese Doritos
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: 1995
> Parent company: Frito-Lay
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Planters P.B. Crisps
> Introduced: 1992
> Discontinued: 1995
> Parent company: Nabisco
Garbage Can-dy
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 1996
> Parent company: The Topps Company
Jell-O 1-2-3
> Introduced: 1969
> Discontinued: 1996
> Parent company: General Foods
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Juliettes
> Introduced: 1984 (reintroduced 1993)
> Discontinued: 1985 (discontinued again 1996)
> Parent company: Little Brownie Bakers for Girl Scouts
Carnation Breakfast Bars
> Introduced: 1975
> Discontinued: 1997
> Parent company: Carnation
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Hershey’s Bar None
> Introduced: 1987
> Discontinued: 1997
> Parent company: Hershey
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Cheetos Cheesy Checkers
> Introduced: 1995
> Discontinued: 1998
> Parent company: Frito-Lay
Taco Bell Lunchables
> Introduced: Late 1980s
> Discontinued: 2000
> Parent company: Oscar Meyer
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Pizzarias Pizza Chips
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: 2000 (?)
> Parent company: Keebler
Tato Skins
> Introduced: 1985
> Discontinued: 2000 (?)
> Parent company: Keebler
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Cheese Tid-Bit
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Nabisco
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Dolphins and Friends
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Austin
Fruit String Thing
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: General Mills
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Munch ‘Ems
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Keebler
Pillsbury Waffle Sticks
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: General Mills
[in-text-ad]
Starburst Fruit Twists
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Wrigley
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Fruitopia
> Introduced: 1994
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Coca-Cola
Philadelphia Cheesecake Snack Bars
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Kraft
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Pop Tarts Snak-Stix
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Kellogg
Wild! Magicburst Pop-Tarts
> Introduced: 1999
> Discontinued: 2003 (?)
> Parent company: Kellogg
[in-text-ad]
Crunch Tators
> Introduced: 1988
> Discontinued: Early to mid 1990s
> Parent company: Frito-Lay
Ice Breakers Liquid Ice
> Introduced: 2003
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Nabisco
Nestlé Magic Balls
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Nestlé
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Reese’s Bites
> Introduced: 1999
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Hershey
Triple Push Pop
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: Mid- 2000s
> Parent company:
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Butterfinger BBs
> Introduced: 1992
> Discontinued: 2006
> Parent company: Nestlé
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Swoops
> Introduced: 2003
> Discontinued: 2006
> Parent company: Hershey
Screaming Yellow Zonkers
> Introduced: 1968
> Discontinued: 2007
> Parent company: Lincoln Foods
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Squeezits
> Introduced: 1985 (reintroduced 2006)
> Discontinued: 2001 (discontinued again 2007)
> Parent company: General Mills
Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups
> Introduced: 2007
> Discontinued: 2008
> Parent company: Hershey
[in-text-ad]
Hershey Kissables
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2009
> Parent company: Hershey
Twizzler Twerpz
> Introduced: 2004
> Discontinued: 2009 (?)
> Parent company: Hershey
Altoid Sours
> Introduced: 2004
> Discontinued: 2010
> Parent company: Wrigley
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Yogos
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2010
> Parent company: Kellogg
Nabisco Original Swiss Cheese Baked Snack Crackers
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 2010 (?)
> Parent company: Nabisco
[in-text-ad]
Bagel-fuls
> Introduced: 2008
> Discontinued: 2010 (?)
> Parent company: Kraft
Magic Middles
> Introduced: 2001
> Discontinued: 2011
> Parent company: Keebler (Kellogg)
3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp Bars
> Introduced: 2010
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Mars
[in-text-ad-2]
Cheetos Twisted
> Introduced: 2002
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Frito-Lay
Fiery Habanero Doritos
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Frito-Lay
[in-text-ad]
Wonka Donutz
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2013
> Parent company: Nestlé
McDonald’s Snack Wraps
> Introduced: 2006
> Discontinued: 2016
> Parent company: McDonald’s
Kudos
> Introduced: Late 1980s
> Discontinued: Late 2010s
> Parent company: Mars
[in-text-ad-2]
Tastetations Hard Candies
> Introduced: 1996
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Hershey
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