10 Failed ’70s Snack Foods Nobody Misses

The 1970s saw an explosion of snack food innovations, with companies introducing bold and sometimes odd products to compete in the growing market. While some became instant classics, others quickly faded into obscurity. These ten snacks might bring back memories, but not necessarily good ones, as they were doomed to fail.

1. Space Food Sticks

Inspired by the space race, Space Food Sticks were marketed as futuristic snacks resembling astronaut meals. These chewy, tube-shaped bars came in flavors like chocolate and peanut butter but tasted overly artificial.

Although they intrigued kids at first, the novelty wore off quickly. Their odd texture and bland flavor didn’t help, and soon they were relegated to forgotten grocery store shelves.

2. Koogle Flavored Peanut Butter

Koogle aimed to make peanut butter more exciting by adding flavors like chocolate, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon. While it sounded promising, the taste often clashed with expectations, leaving consumers confused.

Parents found it too sweet, and kids didn’t find it appealing enough to replace regular peanut butter. Its flashy marketing couldn’t save it from fading away.

3. Gerber Singles

Gerber tried branching out with Gerber Singles, prepackaged baby food-style meals for adults. The idea was to offer convenience, but the concept of eating baby food didn’t resonate with anyone.

The unappealing packaging and texture of these pureed meals made them a hard sell. They disappeared from stores almost as quickly as they arrived.

4. MilkMate Flavored Straws

MilkMate straws came filled with flavor beads designed to make plain milk taste more exciting. Kids were supposed to sip milk through them to get a burst of chocolate or strawberry flavor, but the results were inconsistent.

The concept seemed clever but often left milk tasting artificial or watered down. Most parents opted for traditional flavored syrups instead.

5. Pringles Potato Chips with Flavors

Pringles introduced bold flavors in the ’70s, hoping to stand out. However, varieties like liver and onions or mint potato chips left consumers puzzled and unimpressed.

While Pringles would later succeed with more standard flavors, these experiments didn’t connect with snackers of the time. Most were quickly discontinued after poor sales.

6. Funny Face Drink Mix

Competing with Kool-Aid, Funny Face drink mix offered quirky mascots and unusual flavors like Goofy Grape and Lefty Lemon. While kids liked the fun names, the taste wasn’t always well-received.

Parents complained about the overly sweet and synthetic flavors. The brand faded into obscurity, leaving Kool-Aid as the go-to option for powdered drinks.

7. Fudgetown Cookies

Fudgetown Cookies were sandwich cookies with a fudge filling that promised indulgence. Despite the appealing concept, the execution fell short, with a dry texture and mediocre chocolate flavor.

Shoppers quickly lost interest in these cookies when better-tasting options were available. They didn’t leave much of a legacy in the crowded cookie aisle.

8. Pizza Spins

General Mills attempted to turn pizza into a bite-sized snack with Pizza Spins. Shaped like tiny wheels, they claimed to deliver all the flavors of pizza. Unfortunately, they didn’t taste much like the real thing.

The snacks had an artificial, powdery coating that turned people off. They vanished after failing to win over pizza lovers.

9. Dazey Churnables

Dazey Churnables were marketed as an easy way to make butter at home. While the concept was intriguing, the product proved inconvenient and unnecessary for most families.

Few people wanted to churn their butter in the age of convenience foods. Sales flopped, and the product quickly faded into obscurity.

10. Snack Mate Cheese in a Can

Snack Mate introduced aerosol cheese, hoping to make cheese spreads more convenient. While fun to squirt onto crackers, the taste was overly processed, and the texture left much to be desired.

It might have been a novelty at parties, but it wasn’t a staple in homes. Many were happy to move on to better cheese products.