- 22 hours ago
Step back in time and savor the memories of iconic food brands that once dominated our shelves but are now gone for good. From crunchy crackers and breakfast cereals to sweet snacks and savory treats, these beloved names left a lasting impression on generations. Get ready to rediscover forgotten favorites like Aunt Jemima, Necco, SnackWell’s, and more in this nostalgic trip through food history!
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00:00I'm sorry, but it's just not working out. We have to let you go.
00:03But I'm Aunt Jemima!
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07And today, we're counting down our picks for the most successful food companies that have become defunct.
00:13That's just the beginning of a story on pie and candy.
00:16A story that is important to everyone who has ever removed a wrapper from a five-cent bar and enjoyed
00:23that first delicious bite.
00:26Number 10. You Need a Biscuit.
00:28Long before flashy mascots and viral commercials, they managed to gain prominence through packaging alone.
00:35You Need a Biscuit's use of airtight packaging ensured that customers wouldn't have to worry about their crackers going stale
00:41too soon.
00:42After being introduced by the National Biscuit Company in the late 1800s, they saw an immediate surge of sales.
00:49That's why the You Need a Bakers have 36 You Need a Bakers bakeries conveniently located throughout the nation so
00:55they can attend to their business well.
00:57Well, more than that, You Need a Bakers maintain 260 branch distributing points all over the country.
01:04The iconic drawing of the boy in the raincoat served as a memorable logo and a reminder of the quality
01:09of their product.
01:10Their innovative use of marketing ensured they stayed neck and neck with their competition.
01:14Besides, they have 2,800 You Need a Bakers salesmen to see that grocery, delicatessen, dairy, and other food stores
01:21are kept supplied with fresh You Need a Bakers product.
01:25Despite their initial popularity, interest slowly waned throughout the 20th century.
01:29By 2009, they were discontinued and taken off the shelves for good.
01:34But Nabisco is still thriving to this day.
01:36I forgot, I'm supposed to mention Triscuits.
01:38Really, all the Nabisco products, they're solid.
01:41You don't like on the back of Triscuits when they give you the recipes for those snacks, like the mini
01:45pizzas.
01:46Number 9.
01:47Force
01:47In 1901, they changed the face of breakfast for good.
01:51Before Force cereal hit international markets, the main options open to customers were classics like cream of wheat.
01:58One bowl full gives a full day's supply of iron.
02:00Cream of wheat stays with him to garden all day to night.
02:07The Buffalo-based business shook things up by introducing smaller, ready-made flakes that one could simply add milk to
02:14to enjoy.
02:15It soon took off in the United States and beyond, and eventually found a large fan base across the pond
02:20in Britain.
02:21You're a passenger now, Sonny Jim.
02:24When's the next lay-by?
02:26Neither variation is still with us today.
02:29The American company went through a series of corporate mergers and ownership changes, which eventually resulted in production being ceased
02:36in 1983.
02:37The United Kingdom Corporation held out until the 21st century.
02:41Unfortunately, sales dropped so much that they closed their doors for good in 2013.
02:46That's it, everyone.
02:47We're out of cereal.
02:48No!
02:49I'm sorry, there's nothing left.
02:51Don't you understand?
02:52Number 8.
02:53Hollywood Bread
02:54The average person may never become a celebrity, but with this brand, they could eat like one.
02:59Challenge your taste.
03:01Ready?
03:03One.
03:04Try both.
03:05Two.
03:05Get satisfaction.
03:06Eleanor Hansberry was inspired to create Hollywood Bread after realizing she wanted to lose weight without having to give up
03:12her favorite foods.
03:14The result?
03:14A diet bread made with eight different types of vegetable flour.
03:18Here's flavor.
03:20Thin-sliced, rich, special formula, dark.
03:23I demand satisfaction.
03:25You'll get it.
03:27They hit their stride in the mid-20th century, with several movie stars endorsing them.
03:31After Hansberry's passing in 1978, they struggled to get back on track.
03:36Their lack of diversification was one part of the puzzle.
03:39A sudden change to their beloved formula in the 80s didn't help.
03:42It all proved to be a lethal combination that resulted in the company going out with a whimper in the
03:471990s.
03:48It's fine.
03:49Let them eat cake.
03:50Is she kidding?
03:52That's not what I meant!
03:53Number 7.
03:55Snackwells
03:55Let this be a lesson in the dangers of false advertising.
03:59After launching in 1992, Snackwells quickly blew up thanks to a claim that their treats were completely flat-free.
04:05With that in mind, customers felt free to eat as many cookies as their hearts desired.
04:10What a creamy way to cut the fat.
04:11Snackwells cream sandwich cookies.
04:14So good.
04:15Can we ever make enough?
04:16Their strategic branding helped them earn millions early on.
04:19With more understanding of food science came the beginning of their downfall.
04:23People realized that an absence of fat didn't mean that carbs and sugar had also been removed,
04:29and that they weren't seeing the results they'd been promised.
04:32I've gained 45 pounds in a week!
04:35Pete, what's happening to me?
04:36What's your diet like?
04:38Wilking cookies?
04:39Really?
04:39But I don't finish all the milk.
04:40Their final nail in the coffin came in 2019 when they added fat to their formula.
04:45They officially shut down in 2022, with their legacy reduced to the Snackwell effect.
04:51I'm being followed.
04:53Are there three women?
04:54Yeah.
04:55Why?
04:55I know these women.
04:57They'll do anything to get a Snackwell.
04:58Whatever you do, don't stop.
05:00Just keep going, do you hear me?
05:01Number 6.
05:02Kugel
05:03It may not have been around long, but it still left an impact on a generation of children.
05:08In the early 1970s, Kugel hit the shelves and changed snack time for good.
05:13Kugel spreads creamy smooth too, and it's delicious on bread or crackers or almost anything.
05:19And it doesn't make my mouth stick together.
05:21And it doesn't make my mouth stick together.
05:23The peanut butter-based spread was even sweeter than the original, and came in a variety of flavors from cinnamon
05:29to banana.
05:29The treat was accompanied by an unforgettable mascot named Kugelnut, who helped advertise the brand far and wide.
05:36How does it taste?
05:37What kind of?
05:38Top, top, top, top, you know what I mean?
05:40A little like chocolate.
05:41A little like peanut.
05:42A little like food, food, food, football.
05:44Their rise was stopped following the release of a report that revealed Kugel didn't have enough nuts to meet the
05:49Food and Drug Administration standards for peanut products.
05:53That seemed to be a wake-up call for many parents, as the company seemingly vanished by the time the
05:58decade came to a close.
06:00This is a sickening display.
06:02Well, I'm not eating bread now.
06:03I'm off bread.
06:04You're off bread.
06:06Number five, Sunshine Biscuits.
06:09Innovation doesn't always lead to permanent success.
06:12With delicious products like Cheez-Its and Hydrox sandwich cookies, Sunshine Biscuits easily reigned over the snack aisle throughout the
06:1920th century.
06:20H-Y-D-R-O-X, Sunshine Hydrox cookies.
06:25Yes, Sunshine Hydrox, the original cream-filled chocolate cookie.
06:29Everybody loves them.
06:31Their wide variety of options meant that every customer was satisfied, no matter what they were craving.
06:36That, coupled with their strategic marketing choices, helped them stand out amongst their competitors.
06:41Just about every cookie and cracker Sunshine makes has absolutely no cholesterol.
06:46Now, what could be better than Sunshine?
06:48Have a little Sunshine.
06:50However, it wasn't enough to ensure that they would stay open for good.
06:53Sunshine Biscuits was sold in the 1960s and eventually merged with Keebler in 1996.
07:00Shortly afterwards, it was discontinued entirely, and several of their beloved products went with them.
07:05A few items survived the purge and are now the only proof of their former dominance.
07:10Feel the ranch!
07:14Baby crutch at peace.
07:17Want it, need it, cheese it!
07:19Number 4.
07:20Chun King
07:20Dear, we considered all chow mein, nutritionally speaking.
07:25But one brand changed that!
07:28Chun Ping!
07:30Chun King!
07:31For countless people across the United States, this was an introduction to the version of Chinese food they know and
07:37love today.
07:37Founded in the 1940s, Chun King offered a grand assortment of various canned and frozen meals inspired by East Asian
07:45cuisine,
07:46from chicken chow mein to chopped suey.
07:48Would it hurt any one of us to try a little chow mein tonight?
07:51Break the American food habit.
07:54Probably some tasty canned chow mein you could pick up at your grocer's.
07:57Of course, it's up to you.
07:59Don't let me influence you.
08:00It saw plenty of financial success early on, and by the 1960s, was ricking in millions every year.
08:07It was sold in 1966, and merged with Nabisco just under 20 years later.
08:12This was the beginning of the end.
08:14It was purchased twice more in the span of a decade, the second of which was by the parent company
08:19that owned their rival.
08:20By 1995, they shut down Chun King entirely.
08:24We salute!
08:25Chun Ping Chow mein!
08:28Chun King!
08:29Oh, shame on me.
08:31Number 3.
08:32Tom's Foods
08:33Hey!
08:33You out there!
08:35Get a load of this shit!
08:37It's the greatest!
08:38And the taste!
08:39Corny, crunchy, crispy!
08:42Although a version of it has survived, it's a shell of what it used to be.
08:46Tom's Foods first opened in 1925, and quickly took the market by storm with a litany of delicious salty treats.
08:53Whether one was getting pork skins or peanuts, they were bound to have an amazing savory experience.
08:58This town's made American to make the good times better for you and me and everyone.
09:06Unfortunately, it was plagued by financial issues early on.
09:09The founder failed to make payments, which led to it being acquired by a bank.
09:13That was just the beginning of its revolving cycle of owners.
09:16In the 20th century alone, it was sold five times.
09:20Through it all, their sales continued to plummet.
09:23They declared bankruptcy in 2005, leaving it to be swooped up one final time by Lance Inc.
09:29I was wondering if they even made them, because I was like,
09:32is somebody pranking me and just telling me to look for these and I can't find them?
09:36Number 2.
09:37NECO
09:37They're colorful, flavorful, and a unique part of American history.
09:42They're NECO wafers!
09:43From wafers to conversation hearts, they helped define people's childhoods for over a century.
09:48NECO officially began operations in 1847, and from that moment on, the candy game was
09:54changed for good.
09:55Their confections led to near-instant success, and by the 20th century, had become one of
10:00the leaders in the industry.
10:01They even became so lucrative that they began acquiring other candy businesses.
10:06There's a type of NECO candy for every desire.
10:09Some of it is packaged as bars for sale on candy counters everywhere.
10:14Others may be found in cellophane bags or neat boxes at your confectioner's, your drugstore,
10:20or your market.
10:21The tide began to turn once the 2000s rolled around, and soon the giant found itself struggling
10:27financially.
10:27It was sold in 2018, and that same year, it was sold again in a bankruptcy auction.
10:33Although some of their products were brought back in 2020, for some, it was just a reminder
10:38of what once was.
10:40Who in the audience used to pretend that these were the Eucharist when you were a kid?
10:44We're going to have a thing.
10:45Amen.
10:46Number one, Aunt Jemima.
10:48Who doesn't love my pancakes?
10:51Everyone loves your pancakes, Aunt Jemima.
10:54It's you.
10:55You're the problem.
10:56Me?
10:57What did I do?
10:58It's not what you did.
10:59It's how you make us feel about what we did.
11:01The products may still be sold under a new name, but the ghost of their former mascot
11:06still haunts them today.
11:07For just over 130 years, Aunt Jemima featured the same logo on all of its breakfast items.
11:14Although some customers had a positive view of it, others criticized its racist roots.
11:19It had been modeled after a mammy character, which had risen to prominence in minstrel shows
11:24during the United States' Jim Crow era.
11:26Aunt Jemima is that kind of stereotype that is premised on this idea of Black inferiority.
11:36In 2020, it was announced that they would be retiring the image and name.
11:40It was met with mixed reactions from customers, with some expressing disappointment over the
11:45change.
11:46A year later, they followed through on their promise and permanently rebranded as the Pearl
11:51Milling Company.
12:01Have you ever tried one of these former food brands?
12:04Let us know in the comments.
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