Lovers of Hydrox sandwich cookies, take note: They are returning, at least for a time, to a grocer near you. Lagging in sales due to the mistaken impression that they were a knock-off of the more successful Oreo cookie, Hydrox cookies were discontinued in 2003, ninety-five years after they first went on the market. However, as a recent New York Times article notes, tough economic times can cause companies to revive and even resurrect old brands, with Hydrox being one of them, due, in part due to the relentless efforts of Internet campaigners for the brand’s return.

This news should raise the hopes of those who continue to pine for their favorites long after they have disappeared from supermarket shelves. (Sites like Hometown Favorites even offer a searchable  “discontinued food” list that lets people know when foods are no longer being produced or have changed names.) Many will remember the revival of Quisp cereal, which returned to distribution on the Internet after many years of non-production.

One of the most lamented “dead foods” is the original Carnation Breakfast Bar (not the chewy granola version of the late 1990s). I myself long for these bars, which were crunchy and had a slight “vitamin-y” taste that no other bar has ever come close to. An online petition and countless blog and message board posts testify to the popularity of this one-time treat: It would be a real coup if we could get them back. If Hydrox fans could do it, so can we!

Postscript:

Don’t assume that just because a food brand is no longer available at your local grocery store that it no longer exists. Some brands do better in certain geographic areas than others, so it may be that your favorites are still being sold in another part of the country. Online retailers such as Vermont Country Store, Amazon, and Hometown Favorites are all good sources of regional and obscure brands.

Tags: branding, Carnation Breakfast Bars, dead food, discontinued food, food brands, Hydrox, Quisp

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