My all-time favorite discontinued food item is the Marathon candy bar, a long braid of caramel and chocolate bar that came out from M&M Mars in 1973 and was gobbled up for good in 1981. (It’s featured in my 1970s and ’80s pop-culture encyclopedia, “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?“)
I wonder when I ate my last Marathon bar? I surely had no idea that it was my last one ever, but really, would it have mattered if I had known? Food memories are powerful, but the food world shifts with the trends and times, and a favorite food or beverage doesn’t always stick around forever.
Even Coca-Cola, that legendary beverage behemoth, famously changed its formula in the disastrous 1985 failure known as New Coke. (The big brains at Coke rethought things, bringing back the old version after seemingly every Coke drinker out there rebelled.)
Every year, we lose some food and beverage products – some long-lived and legendary, others don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it short-termers. Here’s a look at foods and drinks that were discontinued in 2024.
Coca-Cola Spiced
Coca-Cola has come a long way since the New Coke debacle of 1985, which I detail in “15 of the Biggest Product Flops in American History (How Many Do You Remember?).”
Now, the company produces all kinds of variants of the basic cola, and Coca-Cola Spiced, a raspberry-accented cola, came out in early 2024. Pour one out for the fruit-tinged drink, though – it was discontinued seven months later.
Oreo O’s cereal
The beloved and classic Oreo cookie has plenty of varieties, ice creams, and even cake mixes and frosting. But Oreo O’s cereal bid breakfast farewell in 2024.
This isn’t the first time Oreo O’s retired. It was originally sold from 1997 to 2007, then returned in 2017. But don’t shed chocolaty tears for it this time, either: Oreo O’s is being replaced by a slightly different offering: Oreo Puffs, which will feature mini marshmallows.
Starbucks Oleato
Coffee giant Starbucks introduced many consumers to pumpkin spice lattes, cold foam lattes and cake pops. And when former CEO Howard Schultz traveled to Italy, he brought the concept of mixing olive oil into coffee back to his company.
But as CNBC reported, customers didn’t love olive oil and coffee as a combo – with some complaining it produced a laxative effect. After launching in 2023, the drinks slipped off Starbucks menus in the U.S. in 2024.
Maple Cheerios
Cheerios dates back to 1941, but the tasty oat cereal has tried out a lot of fun flavors, from pumpkin spice to berry, along the way. And since maple syrup is already a popular breakfast addition thanks to pancakes and waffles, Maple Cheerios seemed like a natural variety.
Maple Cheerios hit U.S. shelves in 2019. The company confirmed back in 2023 that they had discontinued the product, but fans reportedly were still finding them on store shelves until 2024. BYO syrup, Cheerios fans.
Panera’s Charged Lemonade
Lemonade seems like such a sweet, innocent, nostalgic drink, associated with lazy summer days and kids selling it on street corners. But lemonade turned a bit menacing in 2024, at least for Panera Bread.
The chain halted, then discontinued, sales of its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks after they made horrific headlines. According to CNN, the company faced multiple lawsuits after two customers died and another reported irreversible health complications after consuming the drink.
Knott’s Berry Farm jam (in stores)
“Berry” is literally Knott’s Berry Farm’s middle name, so it’s no surprise the company made and sold its own jams. In fact, the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, now owned by Six Flags, sits on the site of a former berry farm that namesake Walter Knott started in the 1920s.
The jam and preserve line was most recently owned by J.M. Smucker, but that company announced in 2024 that it would no longer sell the spreads in stores. If you’re really jamming to buy some, the product is still sold online.
Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookies
When your local Girl Scouts were hawking cookies in 2024, you may have noticed one flavor missing. Raspberry Rally, kind of a berry-flavored Thin Mint, was available online only in 2023. But even though some cookie monsters devoured it, the new variety did not return in 2024.
Fruit Stripe gum
Fruit Stripe gum, which came out in 1969, is all chewed up after more than 50 years, manufacturer Ferrara Candy Co. confirmed in early 2024.
The colorful gum came in five fruity flavors: Wet n’ Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange and Peach Smash. It was famous for both its zebra mascot, named Yipes, and the sad truth that its flavor lasted about as long as it took you to crumple up the wrapper after you opened a stick.
Add a Comment