14 Grocery Store Brands That Quietly Disappeared
From quirky snack brands to beloved household names, these 14 grocery store icons quietly vanished, leaving behind a trail of nostalgia for shoppers who once relied on their familiar presence.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
In recent years, several popular grocery store brands have disappeared quietly from shelves, leaving nostalgia for those who grew up eating them. From frozen dinners and offbeat snack foods to cherished dairy items, these brands were once fixtures in American pantries but could not keep pace with shifting trends and consumer expectations. Here’s a look at 14 of these forgotten brands.
1. Red Barn
Image from Pinterest
A supermarket regular in its time, Red Barn was famous for its frozen dinners and pre-packaged meats. It was at its peak in the 1970s, but with the move toward fresher, healthier options, it was left behind. The brand fell out of favor, and by the 1990s, the product was phased out in silence.
2. Banquet’s Frozen TV Dinners (Original Packaging)
Image from Banquet
Banquet became famous in the 1950s with its traditional frozen dinners, usually with bright red packaging. The company struggled to keep up with the popularity of healthier frozen dinners, and by the early 2000s, its recognizable packaging had been discontinued. Although Banquet is still around, it’s not exactly the same as the company that stocked freezer shelves across the country.
3. Del Monte’s 100% Apple Juice
Image from Del Monte Europe
Del Monte was once a juice industry leader, and its recognizable 100% apple juice product was found in many households. However, the brand ultimately fell off grocery store shelves as organic, smaller brands made inroads. Consumers also migrated to cold-pressed products, leaving Del Monte’s juice segment in the dust.
4. Pet Milk
Image from Pet Culture PH
Pet Milk, renowned for its evaporated milk, was a family favorite for generations of cooking and baking. Even though its long history began in the late 1800s, it lost popularity as fresh milk and non-dairy options became more popular. The brand, once a dairy pioneer, faded away quietly in the 1990s.
5. Koogle Peanut Butter
Image from Pinterest
Koogle was an offbeat peanut butter brand that put a playful spin on a timeless favorite with chocolate and cinnamon flavors. Its bright packaging and fun commercials made it popular with children in the 1970s. But the brand lost steam, and by the late ’80s, it was phased out.
6. Borden Dairy Products (Original Brand)
Image from Borden Dairy
Borden was a venerable and classic American dairy brand. With its mascot, Elsie the Cow, and line of dairy products, Borden was a staple name for decades. However, it slowly phased out through corporate realignment and regional dairies encroaching on its market share, and the classic brand vanished in the late 1990s.
7. Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding
Image from Pickaroo
Hunt’s Snack Pack pudding was a common, instant dessert during the ’80s and ’90s, with its creamy texture and easy packaging. Although it holds nostalgic value, it was dwarfed by rival dessert products emphasizing cleaner ingredients. Hunt’s cut back on its pudding line, and the company disappeared from view.
8. Healthy Choice Frozen Dinners (Old Recipe)
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Healthy Choice first made a big splash with frozen dinners, which guaranteed a healthier option than regular frozen dinners. When health trends changed and people moved toward more varied meal options, the company struggled to keep up with its initial popularity. New formulations replaced the original recipes, but the old one is a nostalgic memory for some.
9. Crisco Shortening (Original Brand Name)
Image from Kitchen Convenience
Crisco, once synonymous with cooking and baking, became a household name due to its versatile use in kitchens across America. Despite this, health concerns around trans fats in the 2000s led to its decline, and the brand underwent a complete overhaul. The classic Crisco shortening brand we knew in the 20th century has slowly disappeared, though its new formulations persist.
10. Dannon’s YoCrunch
Image from Danone Away From Home
YoCrunch yogurt was a kid and adult favorite, with a crunchy topping that blended into the creamy yogurt base. It quickly gained a loyal following because of its easy-to-use packaging and playful flavors. The brand, though, was challenged by other snackable yogurt brands and quietly phased out of grocery store shelves.
11. Marie Callender’s Frozen Meals (Classic Dinners)
Image from Marie Callender’s
Marie Callender’s started as a pie business and branched out into frozen dinners, which were famous for their generous portions and comfort food feel. The traditional “home-cooked” fare appealed to consumers in the ’90s, but fast-casual eating and health-conscious options pushed sales downward. Most of the popular frozen dinners vanished as the company moved toward emphasizing more upscale offerings.
12. Edy’s Fruit Bars (Original Recipe)
Image from Sun Fresh
Edy’s Fruit Bars were a summertime favorite, with their cool, fruit-based taste a refreshing alternative to ice cream. The original recipe, which featured whole fruit and plain ingredients, eventually gave way to newer, more mass-produced varieties. With changing tastes among consumers, the original version disappeared in favor of new Edy’s frozen desserts.
13. Dixie Cups
Image from CooksInfo Food Encyclopaedia
Dixie Cups used to be the standard disposable cup for everything from office water coolers to parties. They were especially famous for their bold, colorful appearance, including everything from iconic logos to playful patterns. With the growing awareness of the environment and a shift away from single-use plastic, Dixie Cups started vanishing from mainstream grocery stores in the early 2000s.
14. Smucker’s Uncrustables (Early Variants)
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Uncrustables disrupted the peanut butter and jelly sandwich market, but their original forms, like the initial “classic” versions with overly sweetened fillings, gradually faded away. The newer, healthier forms that took center stage revived the brand, but the classic forms have slipped away quietly. Nevertheless, the Smucker’s Uncrustables brand continues to enjoy popularity with newer versions of its frozen sandwiches.