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Let’s be honest, a majority of my nutrition-based articles are either recipes or information regarding how to adopt a healthy eating plan. Well, needless to say, it’s okay to have a little fun every once in a while, and here we’re taking a blast to the past. The remainder of this article covers 10 foods from the 2000s that were once popular but unfortunately discontinued.
Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pops
We’ll get started by talking about a game-changer in the world of lollipops. The Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pop was a liquid lollipop that surged in popularity throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Not only were these unique in their appearance, but they also made it easy to consume a lot of sugar in one sitting. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of information out there about why they were discontinued, but it’s clear they had a sort of cult following while they were around.
To prove my point, if you go to any website where Squeeze Pops used to be sold, you’ll see a bunch of reviews where people plead for their favorite candy back — some even calling it their medicine.
Nonetheless, Squeeze Pops were likely discontinued because the main ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Although delicious, high fructose corn syrup is essentially just artificial sugar, and it’s terrible for you when consumed excessively. Many experts believe HFCS contributes greatly to obesity, so it seems like Squeeze Pops were pulled for this reason.
After researching, I found that these haven’t been available online since 2014. The closest alternative is Kidsmania Ooze Pops on Amazon, which you can check out below.
Icebreakers Liquid Ice
These mints are so 2000s that Ashlee and Jessica Simpson (as well as the Duff sisters) were doing commercials for it. That’s right, icebreakers liquid ice. Little balls that exploded with minty freshness so intense that it was dangerous to drink cold water after. Icebreakers launched Liquid Ice in 2003, and they seemed to be pretty strategic with their marketing. Although the product caught a lot of people’s attention, the initial sales were not very promising.
After one year of production, Icebreakers stopped making Liquid Ice sometime in late 2004 or 2005. Besides the first-year sales being an issue, the mints were made with an artificial sweetener called neotame. Neotame is based on aspartame which is the sweetener in most diet sodas. Despite Neotame being FDA approved and safe to consume, many people were still skeptical due to a lack of research.
These mints are personally one of my favorite items to make the list, and although they were discontinued around 2004, I remember seeing them around until 2008.
Heinz EZ Squirt Colored Ketchup
This line of colored ketchups by Heinz would shake up the condiment world for a short stretch in the 2000s. Heinz EZ Squirt was a genius idea that had never been seen before. Kids went nuts over this stuff, and even adults were putting purple ketchup on their french fries. The product launched in 2000, and the initial success was so great that Heinz captured 60% of the ketchup market in a few years. By 2006, approximately 25 million bottles of colored ketchup were sold.
As for why the product was discontinued, it’s likely that the fad died out and sales plummeted. After a period of 6 years, people realized that green ketchup was the same as red ketchup. It also became apparent that the ketchups were filled with artificial dyes to give them their unique colors.
There’s no doubt that Heinz did a great job with their marketing. They started by promoting the new Shrek movie with their green ketchup, and eventually, they launched other colors. Unfortunately, it was the combination of artificial dyes and overall disinterest that caused this product to be pulled. Heinz EZ squirt was certainly a revolutionary force in the condiment game.
Sprite Remix
One soda company that made a name for itself in the 2000s was Sprite. At #4, we’ll be looking back at Sprite Remix: a line of three Sprite flavors released in 2002. Just like the original soda, Sprite Remix was colorless and caffeine-free. The three flavors were Tropical Remix, BerryClear Remix, and Aruba Jam, all of which were somewhat fruity.
As far as branding, Sprite Remix had a couple of cool commercials with DJ Logikal that represented the 2000s well. The Remix line also didn’t stop at sodas, as they produced mixable flavor packets too. These packets were a part of Coca-Colas “do-it-yourself” promotion. Customers could mix the powder with an original Sprite to reach their desired flavor.
Despite the fact that many people enjoyed Sprite Remix, the line was discontinued in 2005 after 3 years of production. Fast forward 11 years to 2016 and Sprite released Sprite Tropical Remix, a rebranded version of the original. Nowadays, this stuff is hard to find, but McDonald’s offers a Sprite Tropic Berry that is very similar.
Butterfinger BBs
Next is a variation of a popular candy by Nestle / Ferrero. Butterfinger BBs were launched in 1992 and they were essentially just marble-sized Butterfinger balls. If you’ve ever had a whopper or milk dud, they looked fairly similar. The BBs were instantly a hit, and many people remember them because of their joint marketing with The Simpsons. The Simpsons was one of the most popular TV shows in the 90s and early 2000s, so this was a power move by Butterfinger.
Butterfinger BBs enjoyed a successful run from 1992 to 2006. I’m not sure why they were discontinued, but there’s a good chance that sales started to drop. There’s also a possibility that Butterfinger wanted to test new products like Butterfinger Buzz and Butterfinger Cups.
Although the BBs are long gone, Butterfinger did not completely stop their production of bite-sized varieties. Butterfinger bites were launched in 2009, and Butterfinger Snackerz were released shortly after. For many people, the news products did not have the same taste or texture, so they did not approve. Despite being a staple in the early 200s, Butterfinger BBs are now a distant memory in 2020.
Doritos 3D's
At number 6, we cannot forget about a chip that was packed with flavor and crunch. Doritos 3D’s was exactly as the name implies: a three-dimensional version of the normally flat corn chip. They kind of resembled a Bugle with a slightly different shape. Doritos introduced their 3D chips in 1998 with the original Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors, but also included Jalapeno Cheddar.
Unfortunately, the enhanced flavor wasn’t enough to keep these on the shelves. After a few years, 3D Doritos were discontinued with little to no reasoning. Just like many other items in this article, there are petitions across the web to bring these chips back. As for right now, many people claim that 3D Doritos are available in Mexico with a queso flavor.
Coca Cola with Lime
There’s been so many different Coke flavors over the years that you’ve probably lost track. Personally, I remember Coke with Lime fondly from the “put the lime in the coconut” commercials.
Many people add lime to their beverages, so Coke probably took this as an opportunity to simplify things. Interestingly enough, Coca Cola started out by making Diet Coke with Lime in 2004. However, after positive feedback, they decided to give the original a run too.
Despite being a refreshing drink, there’s no denying that Coke with Lime catered to a specific group of people. A small group of people really enjoyed lime with their Coca-Cola. Furthermore, what’s stopping the average person from adding lime to their Coke at home?
These reasons, combined with a lack of sales, is what led to Coke with Lime being discontinued after one year. It’s unfortunate that this product only lasted one year, because maybe a turn-around would have happened. Personally, I think this falls under the category of “gone too soon”.
Trix Yogurt
This yogurt will hit you right in the childhood. We’ve all heard of Trix Cereal, but do you remember Trix Yogurt? Trix Yogurt was marketed under he Yoplait brand for a short period of time. They’re mostly memorable for being multi-colored with a variety of unique flavors.
Although Trix Yogurt was marketed primarily for children, it was no different from regular Yoplait. It was actually relatively healthy despite looking artificial. There’s not a lot of information regarding when Trix Yogurt came out, but it was likely sometime around 1992 according to the Chicago Tribune.
At the time, Trix was one of the top-selling cereals nationwide, and Yoplait was trying to compete with Dannon at the top of the food chain. The partnership proved to be successful for both companies until Trix Yogurt disappeared sometime around 2009.
Despite having no artificial sweeteners or dyes, there’s speculation that the multi-colored yogurts started to receive backlash from a generation that was growing more health-conscious.
Fiery Habanero Doritos
This is a chip that my spicy fans know and love. Doritos has come out with a lot of great flavors over the years, but Fiery Habanero lit a fire for a lot of people. If you could handle the heat, these chips were delicious, but many people were not capable of eating a whole bag in one sitting.
The Fiery Habanero flavor was launched in 2005, and it was bold of Doritos to do so. At the time, spicy foods weren’t. as popular as they are today. Snack foods like Hot Cheetos were just starting to gain popularity, so there was some uncertainty with the launch.
The main goal of a brand like Doritos is to produce chips on a large scale to make more profit. By targeting an untapped niche at the time, Doritos was taking a big risk, and they likely discontinued the flavor when profits dwindled. The chips were pulled in 2009, but the three years of production was enough to create. a lasting impression on people.
The love was so great that there’s both a petition on Change and a facebook group dedicated to bringing back this flavor. Although Doritos has come out with new spicy variations in recent years, loyal fans want Frito Lay to bring back the real heat.
Kellog's Yogos Bits
Lastly, at number 10, we have a Kellog’s product that every kid loved to see in their lunch box. Yogos Bits were a yogurt covered snack that came in a variety of flavors. They were shaped like little balls and they were fairly sweet. For a lot of kids and parents alike, Yogos were the perfect combination between a snack and breakfast item.
Yogos were low in calories at only 80 per pouch, but they also contained a bit of saturated fat and were high in sugar. They came out in 2005, and the product did well for a few years. A lot of people assumed that Yogos disappeared because of nutrition concerns, but Kellog’s mentioned an overall lack of fans.
They were discontinued sometime around 2009 or 2010, and yes, there are petitions to bring these back too. Despite being a commonplace in the childhoods of many, the demand simply wasn’t strong enough to keep these around, and it doesn’t seem like they will ever make a return.
Closing Remarks
I hope you unearthed some type of nostalgia after reading this article. There were several foods from the 2000s that were discontinued, but great memories live on. If you are more of a visual learner and really want a blast from the past, I suggest watching the video below.
Overall, the late 90s and early 2000s was an unforgettable era. Thanks to the internet, we can reminisce about many of the food items we once knew and loved. Hopefully one day some. ofthese fan favorites make a return.
