After Fruitopia’s launch in 1994, the New York Times was quick to release an article that called the fruity drink a Snapple ripoff. Though amidst all the drama, ’90s kids still had the non-carbonated fruity beverage in their lunch boxes. But all merriment must come to an end, as did Fruitopia.
Some flavors weren’t selling as well which meant they were dropping from the lineup up until Fruitopia’s drink finally ran dry in 2003. The remaining Fruitopia labels are only available at McDonald’s.
Marathon Bar
Upon the first bite, the Marathon bar tasted like any other candy bar. Coated in chocolate and with a chewy caramel filling, there was one thing different about this bar - how long it took to eat it.
While eating and even after you were done eating, each bite would stick to your teeth for a week. After less than a decade on the market, skimpy sales triggered the discontinuation of the Marathon bar in 1981.
Cadbury's Aztec Bar
The Aztec was basically a less sweet version of the Mars bar, it was made up of a similar combination of chocolate, nougat, and caramel but the sugar content was a little less.
It had serious substance, but it was just not as good as the Mars bar, which had the same ingredients. The Aztec bar deserved a better fate but tragically, it faded into oblivion a few years after its arrival.
Cadbury's Astros
Astros were truly fantastic. They were chocolatey and crunchy, but a totally different beast than M&M's. Cadbury's Astros were little orbs of biscuits covered in milk chocolate and a crispy shell.
But evidently, these weren't beloved enough, because they were taken off the shelves sometime around the late 90s. What was the cause? Most likely, they just weren't as good or as high publicized as M&M. Sad!
Beech-Nut Gum
Sometimes the minty flavor of chewing gum doesn't last long but lives on in our memories, through its legacy. This was the case with the Beech-Nut gum, which was an early staple breath freshener that hit the shelves in the early 20th century.
After a few decades, thin slices of gum fell out of favor and were soon discontinued. Nowadays, chewing gum is delivered in little bite sizes that come in foil blister packs.
Whiz Bar
Another fallen comrade in the long, storied history of candy bars. The Whiz bar first appeared in stores in the 1920s as a chocolate-coated marshmallow bar. It relied on slick advertisements that consisted of catchy tunes and a five-cent price tag.
Even though Whiz Bars didn't stand the test of time, they did bring about a revolution. The head food technologist behind Whiz Bars went on to invent an apparatus that totally changed the candy-making game forever.
Clorets
Clorets were phased out in 2015, which is not that recent, but it's still recent enough that many people might not have realized this gum has been discontinued.
Clorets gum's remarkable claim to fame was the inclusion of an ingredient called chlorophyllin—which began being included in all kinds of products in the 1950s after scientists found that chlorophyll helps decrease bad odors.
PB Max
PB Max deserved a better fate. This early-'90s staple was like the mutant offspring of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and a Twix bar.
The combination proved to be delicious and if you ask us, it was one of the best peanut butter-based candies to date. But unfortunately, it was discontinued just a couple of years later. Why? Because the family who owns the candy empire didn't like peanut butter.
Bonkers
Bonkers were fruity, chewy, and came in several flavors, but still managed to be totally different than their Starburst counterparts.
These had a fruitier filling in the middle and were a big hit in the 80s and 90s. But eventually, they went to the big old candy bowl in the sky and now Bonkers are gone forever. Some people still miss them, but honestly, there is so much candy out there that most people have finally found a replacement.
Space Dust
Pop rocks were successfully unleashed in the 1970s and someone decided to sell a crushed-up version of it and call it Space Dust.
But in an unlucky marketing oversight, the group failed to notice how much the name Space Dust sounded like an illegal form of ingestible powder. Everyone else caught it and complained right away. To remedy the situation the name was changed to Cosmic Candy, but alarmist parents were still in arms and soon it was discontinued.
Garfield Shredded Bubble Gum
Garfield's snarky antics were quite popular in the late 80s, families across America loved the lazy, lasagna-eating orange tabby cat.
At the same time, shredded bubble gum was also enjoying the height of its popularity—and so a delicious invention was born. This Bubble Gum let kids decide how much bubblegum they wanted to chew at any given time, which is both exciting and a bit irresponsible. Nowadays, you can only find these on eBay.
Wonka Oompas
Wonka Oompas was a curious concoction from the 1970s that consisted of peanut butter cream and milk chocolate encased inside a candy shell.
These looked a little larger and flatter than Skittles and came in packs that featured a Willy Wonka character. Over the years, there were redesigns and recipe adjustments up until the candy disappeared from shelves in 1982.
Bar None
Some of you may be surprised to learn that Bar None was from Hershey's. Usually, if it's Hershey's, it sells. It consisted of a chocolate wafer with chocolate cream filling. It was coated in crunchy peanut pieces and then blanketed in sweet milk chocolate.
The creators decided to add caramel, but that new recipe just didn't vibe with customers so, in 1997, the bar was taken off the shelves.
Slo Poke Lollipops
Back in the day, one of the best lollipop options was called Slo Poke caramel pop. A nice feature this candy had is that it took forever to finish. These little pops were a childhood staple during the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
But times change and candy preferences have evolved since then. Soon enough, Slo Poke caramel pops fell out of favor with the younger generation and are now only remembered as a classic candy.
Wonka Bars
Some Wonka confectionaries, like Nerds and Gobstoppers, are still on shelves. But back in 2014 when Nestlé acquired The Willy Wonka Candy Company a few products vanished from the market entirely.
One of those products was actually the beloved Wonka bars. The rest of the Wonka products are now manufactured by the Ferrara Candy Company, but Wonka bars live on in our hearts.
Cadbury's Timeout
Cadbury's Timeout was an absolute classic that had a ripple of filling between two crispy wafers and then wrapped in more chocolate. It sounds delicious, right? Well, those who have tried it know that it was.
So why would they stop making it? According to Cadbury, they decided to stop making Timeout bars after the rippled chocolate treat was considered “unpopular." Sometimes it's all about popularity.
Summit Cookie Bars
Look, it's understandable why the combination of chocolate and peanut is a difficult formula to crack! With so many candied versions of peanuts and chocolate bars, we totally see why certain bars come and go.
Mars' version of Summit cookie bars had a good run, but in the mid-1980s, they were discontinued. Luckily for those of you who miss it, today you can find plenty of tasty alternatives.
Hershey's Kissables
Among the chocolate-driven candy products, the Kissables seemed like a great idea. And with a brand like Hershey, people could rest easy knowing they would be getting that sweet, creamy deliciousness we all know and love.
But soon customers found that this particular milk chocolate product did not actually contain milk chocolate? Of course, they would have none of that cheap imitation chocolate, and soon Kissables were off the shelves.
Iced Berry Piñatas
While these Girl Scout cookies were decidedly not a paper-mache animal stuffed with candy, they were a party for your tastebuds. Those who tried them remember how great they tasted.
Shortbread cookies were filled with strawberry jam and sprinkles of cinnamon. They also had drizzled icing. It was like a traditional Danish pastry but in cookie form. These cookies have since left this world for much-berrier pastures.
Red Velvet Oreos
Who can recall the height of the red velvet craze of the early-to-mid-2010s? We definitely can, we could barely walk 10 feet without being bombarded with a red velvet cupcake.
So it comes as no surprise that Oreo launched red velvet cookies in 2015. The unusual thing about this particular Oreo was that the filling in the center was cream cheese instead of vanilla. They were only limited-edition, so even though they were a hit, they were only on the market until 2020.
Creme Savers
Creme savers may not have been as fantastically packaged as other bygone candies from the late 20th century, but they were cherished by many before their inexplicable disappearance.
Creme Savers weren't blasted with flavor but the hard candy was fashionable for its lack of sugar. This was at the peak of the Atkins diet craze, so the guarantee of a carb-free treat was tempting. Still, when it comes to candy, if you don't have sugar or flavor, you know it's not going to last that long.
Lunchables Cookies
Lunchables may have been an iconic DIY school snack kit from the late 80s, but the Lunchables Cookies and Frosting packs have endured up until just recently. If you were a kid of the 80s, you must remember these fondly and are sad they are no longer available.
These delicious decorate-your-own-cookie kits came with two semi-soft cookies and sweet spreadable icing that made for a delicious treat.
Pop Qwiz Popcorn
A lot of grownups remember happily chowing down on colorful Popcorn as kids in the 90s. With colors like red, blue, purple, and green, who could resist snacking on these while enjoying their favorite cartoons?
But all those colors were just not enough to keep this product alive. The colors didn't equate to any flavoring, which was disappointing. The candy soon fell out of favor and was taken off the shelves.
Squeezit
Fruit juices didn't really need to be sold in squeezable packs to kids. Still, just because you don't need something, it doesn't mean you don't want it. Squeezable packs were a big part of the spirit of the '90s.
After being redesigned in 1992, each flavor had its own assigned character - from Smarty Arty Orange to Grumpy Grape. Was there a lunchbox that didn't have a Squeezit? Probably not.
Moon Pie Crunch
The iconic Moon Pie's existence was incredibly long. It existed for over 100 years - and for a good reason, these pies were scrumptious.
Marshmallow filling sandwiched between cake-like cookies and then coated in chocolate, this was the kind of treat that should have never gone out of style. But one kind of Moon Pie hasn't done as well and that's the Moon Pie Crunch, which was eventually discontinued.
3D Doritos
The only bad thing about 3D Doritos was this: they did not travel well. The foil bags just couldn't shield those little three-dimensional doozies and they'd crumble in the bag before you could open it.
Oh and there's one more con to these puffed-up, pillowy pockets of zest — they no longer exist. By the turn of the millennium, 3D Doritos were unjustly (in our opinion) yanked from the shelves.
Ocean Jellies
Vidal candies ocean jelly fruit gums came in the form of marine animals. These sea creatures were gummy sweets with fruity flavors and looked quite like sea creatures.
They were fun to wat, not only for kids but also for oceanographers or adults who enjoy candy. Sure they were discontinued, but if you really miss them you can actually find them on Amazon.
Danish Ribbons
A list of bygone candy just wouldn't be complete without mentioning Danish Ribbons. Kids from the 60s loved breaking these into smaller rolls and unraveling them as they ate their fruit by the foot.
These licorice rolls were bright red and also called Delfa rolls have been away for quite some time now. If you really miss them you'll be glad to know that retro candy lovers have spotted them being sold online in either strawberry or black licorice flavor.
Thingamajig Candy Bar
Hershey's unleashed both the Whatchamacallit and the Thingamajig bars to the candy-starved populace, because why introduce one long and complicated name when you can release two? It's a no-brainer guys.
Along with their long names, these two were quite similar. There was nothing to set one apart from the other in terms of competition. This is why the Thingamajig is now a thing of the past.
Hubba Bubba Soda
Hubba Bubba was famous for its bubble gum, but just to keep things funs and surprising, they also launched a product in the beverage aisle. You can probably guess that it was bubble gum flavored. Yep, this was a thing in the '80s.
While it had a bit of buzz, ultimately it didn't do as well as anticipated and before we could try it, it was pulled from the shelves.
Mars Planets
Another one of the Mars treats that was gone too soon. When Mars Astros got the boot it was bad enough, but then this? Mars Planets contained a selection of cocoa balls: one with a nougaty filling, one with oozy caramel, and one with a crispy biscuit center.
Too bad these were discontinued in 2007 after a short time on the shelves and haven't returned since.
Astro Pops
The earliest Astro Pop was a sweet lollipop that reminded everyone of the exciting anticipation of the space race.
It was a unique lollipop that looked nothing like the typical mold of lollipops and had three layers of flavors that were supposed to mimic the three stages of a rocket launch. It was an intense and long-lasting lollipop that will now only live in our memories.
Cadbury's Snaps
Cadbury managed to combine two amazing ideas into one - Chocolate and Pringles? Simply C'est Magnifique.
The packaging was way bigger than what was found inside, which is a known marketing trick to get people to buy something. The problem is that after customers actually opened the box they were left disappointed. They were on the market for around 6 years before being discontinued in 2010.
Bubblicious Cherry Cola Cool
The 1980s was a wonderful time when TV, sugar-laden candy, and hairspray weren't known for being terrible for you. People could just consume these things guilt-free back then.
Chewing gum was a serious trend, and after being banned in schools, its popularity only increased. Bubblicious was one of those popular brands that had every flavor under the sun, including Cherry Cola!
Cadbury's Spira
Another candy bar in the pantheon of chocolate-based chemistry is Cadbury's Spira. The candy was taken from the shelves in 2005 and hasn't been seen since.
There has been a lot of campaigning for their return on social media platforms. Yes, people still miss for these delicious chocolate bars, so much so that they still talk about them today. But the dream of having this candy bar back was crushed by Cadbury themselves.
Popeye's Candy Sticks
Popeye Candy Sticks were a classic candy every kid can remember, probably the epitome of retro candy, literally in a box. These candies are long, thin white sticks made out of sweet powdery, chalky sugar, making for a deliciously crunchy pick-me-up kind of nostalgic treat.
But perhaps they were a little too reminiscent of cigarettes, which explains why they've been discontinued.
Banjo Bar
Fans of the Banjo bar are so eager to get this nutty bar back, that they've even created an Instagram account solely dedicated to their cause.
Banjo was a candy bar with an airy & crispy wafer, a layer of chopped peanuts, nutty cream filling, and coated in milk chocolate. There was a coconut version also available that was just as popular.
Sugar Mama
Originally these were called Papa Suckers and they first came out in the 1920s. In due time, they got the unique name Sugar Daddies. They also morphed into Sugar babies in 1935, the so-called were caramel bits covered in chocolate.
Sugar Mamas didn't come along until 1965 but they were only slightly smaller than the Sugar Daddy. Sugar Mama was ultimately phased out in the 1980s, which is a shame, why is it always the Mama?
Mr. T Bubble Gum
We didn’t take advantage of this limited-edition offer, so yes, Mr. T pities us fools. With his distinctive look of multiple gold chains, Mr. T became a very popular character in the 80s when they released this set of wearable bubble gum.
Not only could these Mr. T Gold Chain Bubble Gum satisfy your sweet tooth, but they would also get a gold-colored chain. Now that's a bargain!
Milky Way Lite
No other chocolate bar better exemplifies the diet culture of the 90s than the Milky Way Lite. This was the first bar to meet the FDA's requirements so that it could be labeled as a 'diet-friendly' candy bar.
Mars was able to lower the calories from the original Milky Way by using polydextrose in its production. But guess what, maybe people who diet don't eat candy bars and people who eat candy bars don't diet? Either way, this just didn't work out.
Strawberry Cream Twinkies
Who doesn't love Twinkies? We've all gorged ourselves on one or two of these when we were kids, and perhaps a whole box as an adult because hey, you're an adult now and you do what you want. Twinkies went bankrupt in 2012, and it discontinued the production of the famous snack.
Twinkies were off the market for ten months before they became available again on July 15, 2013. But they didn't sell as well and therefore got the ax.
Altoids Sours
The Altoids we know today just don't compare to the ones of yesteryear. Excuse our nostalgia, but the chalky, curiously strong, minty tablets that you associate with the name Altoids, just aren't as good as their tangy, discontinued cousins. But what happened to Altoids Sours, and why were they discontinued in the first place?
The sad, but true account of the discontinued Altoids Sours: They just weren't successful enough to justify continued production.
Maple Bacon Pop-Tarts
Maple Bacon Pop-Tarts were only expected to be a limited-edition flavor. They were bought by the same sweet-and-savory cravers who like dipping French fries into their milkshakes. Maple Bacon Pop-Tarts hit the shelves in 2016. These limited-edition treats lasted only for a little while before being discontinued. Overall, the reaction to these sweet and savory tarts was positive.
Being one of those products that contain a lot of high fructose corn syrup, these pop-tarts became another 'no-no' on every nutritionist's checklist.
Big Stuf Oreos
Go big or go home, right? Big Stuf Oreos were first introduced in the late eighties. Big Stuf Oreos were huge, at 300 calories per Oreo, these were sold individually until they were discontinued in 1991. This Oreo was ten times the size of a normal-sized Oreo.
Oreo learned that bigger wasn't better when it came to these cookies, and soon enough, they were cut for low sales.
Coca-Cola BlāK
Coca-Cola Blak was a soft drink that was coffee-flavored, yikes! Coca-Cola tried it out in 2006, but at $1.99 a bottle, it proved to be too pricey for its target consumer, and Coca-Cola discontinued BlāK seventeen months after launching it into the market.
The coffee-flavored soft drink may have had fewer calories than a Coke, but it was also just too unusual to get off the ground. In 2019, Coke announced it was preparing to create another Coke-coffee hybrid drink, along with perhaps a reboot of BlaK for U.S. audiences.
Cheez Balls
Planters released Cheez Balls in the nineties. They were bright, almost fluorescent-orange balls of cheese-flavored crunch that were incredibly popular. For twelve years, Cheez Balls were off the shelves after being discontinued in 2006, so in 2018, Planters agreed to a limited-edition release. Fans of the snack had been petitioning the company repeatedly until it agreed to sell their favorite snack again in 2018.
Cheez Balls were brought back for a summer, hitting shelves on July 1, 2018. They are now still available on Amazon and at certain Walmart stores. It's still unclear if they will make another comeback.
Pepsi Blue
Pepsi Blue came from PepsiCo, and this cotton candy with a berry aftertaste drink is probably the most closely related to Crystal Pepsi. The bright-blue-dyed drink was introduced back in 2002 and only stayed on the shelves for two years due to declining sales. Now, if you want some, you can only get it from the Philippines or Indonesia.
The main reason it was discontinued there once again was that there was controversy around Pepsi's use of Blue 1, a toxic food dye that has been banned in multiple countries.
New York Seltzer
New York Seltzer was a carbonated soft drink, and the clear soda had natural flavors, no artificial colors, and no preservatives. The soda was discontinued in 1994. The 12-pack of ten-ounce New York Seltzer bottles are still available in their Vanilla Cream flavor.
The Los Angeles soda company, which has been around for so long that it is accepted as retro, is striving to make a comeback, selling its products at World Market.
Nabisco Giggles
Sure, these cookies were explicitly designed as a shortbread vessel for vanilla and chocolate cream filling, but what made them really memorable was the smiley face cut into each cookie. They were available in the 80s, before being discontinued in the 90s.
Whether they will be rereleased is unknown, which only adds to the mystery surrounding these long-forgotten snacks.
Fruitopia
After Fruitopia's launch in 1994, the New York Times was quick to release an article that called the fruity drink a Snapple ripoff. Though amidst all the drama, '90s kids still had the non-carbonated fruity beverage in their lunch boxes. But all merriment must come to an end, as did Fruitopia.
Some flavors weren't selling as well which meant they were dropping from the lineup up until Fruitopia's drink finally ran dry in 2003. The remaining Fruitopia labels are only available at McDonald's.
Carnation Breakfast Bars
Nestle's Carnation Breakfast Bars were a favorite from the eighties. They were terribly unhealthy, sugar-wise, though they were easy to eat on the go, which made them so famous. Carnation Breakfast Bars have been the inspiration behind a petition on Change.org. The petition calls for a refrain from all Nestle products until they start making Carnation Breakfast Bars again.
The petition wasn't successful enough to bring them back, though, since Nestle products are so widely consumed. It remains debatable whether they could make a comeback in today's climate, with their sugary, carb-heavy snack.
Black Pepper Jack Doritos
Another snack that has inspired a petition for a revival is Black Pepper Jack Doritos. This flavor of Dorito has a real kick as these Doritos blend black pepper and pepper jack cheese for a new flavor. They had no trans fats or cholesterol. This flavor of Doritos was discontinued in 2008, just ten years after its release in 1998.
The reason Black Pepper Jack Doritos were taken off the market was because of a lack of people purchasing this specific flavor.
Crispy M&M's
These M&M's were larger than others of their kind, and they had a crispy wafer in the middle and coated with milk chocolate. Crispy M&M's hit the shelves in 1999, and six years later, they were discontinued in the U.S., though they did make a brief comeback in 2015. After high demand from fans, Crispy M&M's were reinstated back in 2015.
After a successful petition to get them back, there are now crunchy M&M's in three flavors: raspberry, espresso, and birthday cake.
Wonder Ball
A relic straight out of the wild west era of child care. The Wonder Ball is one of those toys that had its heyday in the nineties; looking back; it was probably quite dangerous. It was withdrawn from the market due to choking hazards. The chocolate candy exterior always kept tiny toys inside the hollow part of its egg-shape.
Presumably, the possible dangers were enough to scare the manufacturers into recalling them off the shelves before reintroducing them with candy instead of the little toys. Frankford Candy & Chocolate eventually bought the brand in 2004.
Swoops
Swoops chips were only made for a brief time, beginning in 2003 and ending in August of 2006. Swoops were Pringles-shaped chocolate candies by Hershey. They were made in multiple flavors, including milk chocolate, Reese's peanut butter, Almond Joy, and white chocolate.
Swoops were discontinued due to low brand awareness; people just didn't know about them and how tasty they could be and therefore weren't buying them.
Jell-O Pudding Pops
Packaged pudding packs remain popular today and even come in imaginative flavors (hello, rainbow, and pink unicorn pudding!). But do you remember when Jell-O pudding pops first came out in 1979 and revolutionized packaged puddings forever?
These freezer treats didn't last under the Popsicle brand name either, as Popsicle used different textures and flavoring. The Pudding Pops were officially discontinued under all brand names in 2011.
Butterfinger B.B.'s
Affectionately called BBs, they were the best melt-in-your-mouth, bite-sized candy. Comparable to Maltesers, these bad boys were roughly the size of marbles and got their start in 1992. This snack food was advertised aggressively, even making an appearance on The Simpsons, who promoted it with much success.
Declining sales and a conscious mindset to shift to healthier products led Nestle to sell Butterfingers to Italian candy-making giant Ferrero in 2018. B.B.'s were yet another subject of a petition to bring them back onto the market.
Cini-Minis
Anyone who grew up during the early 90s will remember Burger King's Cini-Minis. This dessert item was launched in 1998, with a pack of four costing 99 cents. It even came with a little pot for the icing. It's understandable that fans were distraught when they were discontinued in the 2000s, and they even created an online petition which had 2,730 supporters demanding their return.
And they did briefly in the U.S. in 2018 but are sadly lost again.
Pink Panther Flakes
Saturday morning cartoons, along with a sugary bowl of cereal, just go together. This is where Pink Panther Flakes come in. The best thing about Pink Panther's cereal is that it made the milk turn both pink, and sweet. The commercial for the sugar-covered pink flakes fused with the Pink Panther theme song.
The cereal chimed: "Pink Panther flakes are… pink." It's not the most original sound, but it is true! Some of the boxes even came with their own little spy kits, how quaint.
Bubble Burger
Circa 1984, when candy and gum came in fun, colorful packaging. This managed to stick around till the early 1990s.
From the first bite the ketchup-flavored liquid would ooze out it was one of those gums that lasted forever! Unfortunately, their sales didn't do so well and they didn't last as long on the shelves. But honestly, we haven't heard anyone talk about them in decades, so maybe it's good they were discontinued.
Cröonchy Stars
Cröonchy Stars only lasted one year on the market before falling off the shelves and into oblivion. While the box cover was amusing, with The Muppet Show's Swedish Chef proudly holding his bowl of Cröonchy Stars, the cereal itself seemed to just have fallen short among other cinnamon-flavored cereals.
Cröonchy Stars' biggest competitor was likely Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which had already been snatching the hearts -- or tastebuds of many cereal lovers.
Smurf Berry Crunch and Smurf Magic Berries
A breakfast classic, Post's Smurf Berry Crunch was a fruity red and blue cereal that came out in 1983. With the Smurfs being painfully cute, blue creatures, they had their own animated T.V. series from 1981 to 1989 and first appeared in a Belgian comic strip in 1958.
As they rose in popularity, they eventually got their own fruit-flavored cereal, with brightly colored red and purple bits and the box featured Papa Smurf about to eat a spoonful. Smurf Magic Berries made their appearance with mini marshmallows a few years later.
Shark Bites
When Baby Shark was about to attack the candy aisle, we knew what to doo doo doo doo. You can technically still buy Shark Bite gummies from Betty Crocker. But kids nowadays will never know the thrill of finding a rare great white shark in the package of sweet fruit punch treats.
The limited-edition cereal was described as "berry fin-tastic with delicious berry flavor, soft marshmallows, and a crispy crunch with every bite.
Crystal Pepsi
The caffeine-free, transparent soda had a brief run in the early 1990s. Crystal Pepsi was initially launched by Pepsi as a response to the growing concern for purity among its customers. However, this version of Pepsi failed miserably due to the following reasons: Taste - Even though it claimed to be like Pepsi, it didn't taste as sweet.
It was unique, but it didn't taste quite like Pepsi. Because it is something that instills some severe nostalgia, Crystal Pepsi has made some limited-time comebacks in the past few years.
Life Savers Holes
These bite-sized Life Savers pieces hit the candy aisle in 1990. The candy's name has to do with its shape, which resembles that of a traditional ring-style life preserver that we know as a "lifesaver." They came in a variety of flavors like minty Peppermint and island fruits, yet they were still markedly different from Tic-Tacs.
In 1991 they did face a recall after there were reports of kids and teens biting off the flip-top plastic cap.
Fruit String Thing
Remember these zany rope-like Fruit String Things? They were arranged like a maze, and unraveling them was a part of the fun. Fruit String Things are probably one of the healthier snacks on our list. As we know by now, fruit snacks come in all different shapes and sizes.
These fruity treats are sweetened with sugars, and they get their tough, chewy, bendy consistency from gelatin. These fruit leathers were actual bite-sized snacks that came as fruit roll-ups and fruit by the foot.
Whistle Pops
Throughout their lifetime, Whistle Pops have been produced by several companies, dating back to the mid-1970s. These lollipops not only gave kids a sugar buzz but were also designed with a stick that could make a whistling noise, so what could go wrong?
While these whistling lollipops are no longer around, Chupa Chups makes similar "Melody Pops." The melody pops are close enough, which is good because otherwise we really would have missed the original whistle pops.
Pixy Stix
Our sweet list continues with Pixy Stix, it came as n alternative to regular candy and was basically just sugar. The allure of Pixy Stix was in its pure simplicity: all you had to do was pour the sweet and sour powder straight into your mouth.
They definitely were not the healthiest of snacks; Pixy Stix doesn't contain protein, fat, vitamins, or minerals -- only sugar carbohydrate and one small straw contain approximately 2.14 grams of sugar.
Necco Wafers
Necco Wafers were a sugar-based candy, sold in rolls of variously flavored thin disks. This candy was first produced in 1847 and became the namesake and core product of the now-defunct New England Confectionery Company (Necco).
Nowadays, these candy wafers can only be purchased online at a few select websites. Apparently, they're making a comeback and will soon be back in stores.
Triple Power Push Pops
As novelty candies go, Triple Power Push Pops was one of the most memorable. They were invented in 1986, and they offered you a hit of sugary goodness in a flash, wherever you were. Most teens in the '80s and '90s had a Triple Power Push Pop stashed in their backpack.
The product has been missing from stores since the early 2000s, but you can still find the sweet treat on Amazon.