Everyone knows the unfortunate feeling of heading out to buy a specific product only to discover it’s no longer available. Discontinued fast-food items can make for major disappointment. The same goes for halted grocery products. Sometimes, companies discontinue items because of poor sales, and other times, there are production-related issues. No matter the reason behind why a product gets axed, the news can still be difficult to process.
Last year, shoppers saw many discontinued grocery items, including Sierra Mist, Rothbury Farms croutons, and Fair Life ice cream. This year, shoppers continue to say goodbye to select food and beverage options.
However, just because companies stop producing specific items doesn’t mean those products will never return. Just look at Ronzoni’s pastina, for example. After being discontinued in 2023, the tiny star-shaped pasta is finally back in stores. Shoppers will have to stay tuned to see which other discontinued items return, but in the meantime, here are eight grocery products that were discontinued in 2024.
Oreo O’s
Fans of Oreo O’s will have to bid farewell to this chocolaty cereal in exchange for a new option. Post Consumer Brands recently confirmed to Food Network that its new Oreo Puffs cereal will permanently replace Oreo O’s. The soon-to-be-discontinued cereal first launched in 1997, got discontinued in 2007, and then returned to shelves in 2017. The cereal consists of chocolaty O-shaped bites in a creme coating.
Despite the cereal’s discontinuation, Post Consumer Brands didn’t completely reject the idea of an Oreo O’s return.
“As for Oreo O’s cereal, who knows what the future will hold!” TD Dixon, chief growth officer at Post Consumer Brands, told Food Network.
The new Oreo Puffs feature chocolaty puffs made with Oreo cookie wafers, as well as marshmallows.
Fruit Stripe Gum
Not all classic confectionary products will last the test of time. Take Fruit Stripe, the vibrant, zebra-printed chewing gum that announced its departure from shelves after being available for 54 years.
“The decision to sunset this product was not taken lightly, and we considered many factors before coming to this decision, including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns,” Ferrara Candy Company, the gum’s manufacturer, told The Takeout in a statement.
Released in 1969, this colorful gum came in five flavors: Wet n’ Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange, and Peach Smash. As a bonus, each package included temporary tattoos of the product’s zebra mascot, Yipes. After news about the discontinuation broke, fans waxed nostalgic about the product, with several pointing out the gum’s notoriously short-lived flavor.
“They’re not gonna make Fruit Stripe Gum anymore and I’m at a loss as to what to chew on now for 15 seconds of flavor,” an X user wrote.
“We will now observe 5 seconds of silence, or the length of flavor in one stick of Fruit Stripe,” another one quipped.
Coca-Cola Spiced
In February, Coca-Cola rolled out its Spiced flavor, which it described as “Coke’s boldest tasting brand innovation yet.” This flavor combined the classic taste of Coca-Cola with raspberry and spice flavors. Despite the company intending for Coca-Cola Spiced to be a permanent offering, Coca-Cola confirmed the soda’s discontinuation just seven months after its launch.
“We’re always looking at what our consumers like and adjusting our range of products. As part of this strategy, we’re planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025,” a company representative previously told Eat This, Not That! in a statement.
Knott’s Berry Farm Jam
The J.M. Smucker Company boasts an assortment of jams and jellies, but that selection got a bit smaller this year. In January, the food and beverage manufacturer confirmed the discontinuation of the Knott’s Berry Farm jam and jellies.
Frank Cirillo, senior manager of corporate communications for J.M. Smucker, told USA Today that this decision aligns with the company’s strategy to continuously evaluate its portfolio and ensure that it’s “dedicating resources to the areas with the greatest growth potential.”
Although Knott’s Berry Farm jams are no more, shoppers can still purchase the brand’s jams through the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park website. The Buena Park, Calif., theme park of the same name is no longer affiliated with the jam brand, though both the theme park and jam brand started with the same family, according to Today.com. The theme park jams are now branded as Berry Market.
Additionally, Knott’s Berry Farm fans can take comfort in knowing that they can still purchase Knott’s Berry Farm cookies, as the cookie brand is owned by Biscomerica, not J.M. Smucker.
Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookies
The 2024 girl scout cookie lineup looked a little different this year. Among fan-favorite options like Thin Mints and Tagalongs was a noticeable void because the Raspberry Rally was missing. However, this wasn’t a complete surprise. Last fall, Girl Scouts of the USA shared that it would not be bringing back the fruit-flavored cookie that it offered during the 2023 cookie season.
Described as a “sister flavor” to Thin Mints, the Raspberry Rally was a thin cookie infused with raspberry flavor and coated in chocolate. The organization exclusively sold this flavor online, and it quickly sold out. Resellers then took to platforms like eBay to sell the cookies at much higher prices.
“Last year, Raspberry Rally cookies were introduced as part of a pilot online-only sales strategy,” a Girl Scouts spokesperson told Today.com. “While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties.”
Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chips
This past summer, Costco shoppers were forced to face some not-so-sweet news about a beloved confection. The warehouse club discontinued two types of Kirkland Signature chocolate chips: semi-sweet (distinctively sold in a red bag) and 51% semi-sweet (packaged in a blue bag).
On Reddit, one user shared a screenshot of an unsubstantiated email from Costco. It noted that the retailer decided to discontinue the two products “due to the rising costs of cocoa.”
“Cocoa costs have risen near 200% compared to last year and this is impacting all items in this category, including branded items such as Nestle Toll House,” the email reads, adding that Costco is replacing the products with Nestlé Toll House chocolate chips.
Costco shoppers shouldn’t completely lose hope though. In the email, Costco wrote that while it will “stay out” of the Kirkland Signature chocolate chips for at least 12 months, its “long-term plan is to offer the item again in the future.”
Trader Joe’s Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip
While product discontinuations happen on a regular basis at Trader Joe’s, hearing the news never gets easier for fans of the specialty retailer. This year, one product that landed on the chopping block was the Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip, as confirmed by a Trader Joe’s representative.
Introduced in 2021, this dip featured dairy-free cream cheese, onions caramelized in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, and other spices. As one might expect, news about the product’s discontinuation left some shoppers feeling disappointed.
“This one stung, TJ’s. I’m in deep mourning,” one fan wrote in a Facebook group dedicated to discussing discontinued Trader Joe’s items.
Trader Joe’s Red & Green Hatch Green Chile Flakes
Trader Joe’s offers a wide range of seasoning blends, but that selection slightly shrunk this year. As confirmed by a Trader Joe’s representative, the Red & Green Hatch Green Chile Flakes were discontinued in 2024. The seasoning blend first hit shelves in 2022 and has accumulated fans who, understandably, were saddened by this product’s discontinuation.
“I was told they were discontinued, makes me very sad because I love this, it is so much better than just crushed red pepper flake[s],” one shopper shared on Reddit.
“I haven’t seen it in a long time. I really miss it,” one Facebook user commented on a post about the product’s potential discontinuation.
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