While it’s true that some consumers may enjoy food company’s new visions, other people may not be as understanding. And, sure, companies can do whatever they want to with their recipes. That doesn’t mean, though, the public is going to like it.
We could just chalk it up to getting older. You know, some nostalgic snacks really did taste better when we were kids. But sometimes, it’s not about growing up or maturing tastebuds. Sometimes, companies decide to switch even the most popular recipes to make them healthier or more cost-efficient.
However, it sucks when your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack food doesn’t taste quite as good as it used to.
Take Pringles, for example. In 2016, Pringles lovers in Australia noticed that those salty, delicious chips weren’t just smaller. They also changed in flavor and texture, too.
“If I ever get a craving for cardboard, soaked in oil and sprinkled with a little salt, I’ll just go and buy some Pringles because that’s what [the new ones] taste like,” one Facebook user wrote.
Here are just a few examples of other times when a food or beverage company decided to switch it up a bit and change the original recipe.
1. Trix Cereal
everyone else: omg popeyes chicken sandwich
— caroline (@carolinederr) August 25, 2019
me, an intellectual: omg trix cereal has fruit shapes again pic.twitter.com/lwWdmkKRJC
General Mills introduced Trix cereal in 1954.
In 1954, Trix cereal (which was definitely a lot of people’s favorite) consisted of three flavors – Orangey Orange, Lemony Yellow, and Raspberry Red. It also had more than 46% sugar. No wonder kids loved it so much! As time passed, the company added five fruit shapes (the cereal pieces were originally spherical) and colors, including Grapity Purple, Lime Green, Wildberry Blue, Berry Blue, and Watermelon.
The company eventually said goodbye to artificial flavoring, though.
In 2015, General Mills nixed artificial flavoring from its recipe and downsized to just four colors. However, the six-color version was reintroduced in late 2017. And, in 2018, the puffy fruit shapes were brought back by popular demand.
Scott Baldwin, the director of marketing for General Mills Cereal, said in a press release:
In just the last 18 months, the brand has seen more than 20,000 requests, with fans asking things like “How many retweets to bring shapes back?” or “Is there a secret stash of Trix Shapes you can send me?” [But] kids of the ’90s can rejoice, their fruity shapes are back in Trix.
2. Fanta
Fanta was invented by the German Coca Cola Bottling Company during World War II.
Believe it or not, the company created this drink out of necessity. In 1940, the war made shipping between Nazi Germany and the United States impossible. Consequently, the German plant didn’t have access to Coca Cola syrup. In hopes of keeping the business afloat, Max Keith (the manager of the plant) created Fanta (a fruit-flavored drink made from whatever he could find).
Keith was pretty creative, but his version of Fanta didn’t resemble the Fanta we know today.
The original version of Fanta had a yellow tint and tasted much different from today’s recipe (which changed slightly in 2017; the modern recipe has 33 percent less sugar and is mainly supported by artificial sweeteners).
Following the war, though, Coca-Cola introduced Fanta to America. And, in 1960, the company bought the trademark. Now, there are more than 70 different flavors worldwide!
3. Nutella
Why change the recipe @NutellaUSA ??? #Nutella pic.twitter.com/tP95l53Rgv
— Mike-EL (@JediMike1128) November 9, 2017
It made its first appearance in the ’60s.
Nutella, just in case you couldn’t tell by its taste, is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero. Yes, the same company that makes those little chocolate candies that are wrapped in golden foil. In 1963, Pietro Ferrero’s son, Michele Ferrero, revamped his father’s recipe for Supercrema and renamed it Nutella. The first jar was delivered to a factory in Alba, Italy, in 1964.
The sweet spread became an immediate success.
Throughout the years, this tasty, hazelnut spread became a cult favorite. So when the company decided to tweak the recipe in November 2017, Twitter (and everyone else on the internet) freaked out.
The company tweeted in response on November 7, 2017, noting:
Our recipe underwent a fine-tuning and continues to deliver the Nutella fans know and love with high-quality ingredients.
The modern version of Nutella is lighter in color and contains more sugar and skim milk powder content than the original.
4. Nesquik
It all started in 1948.
Nesquik is a brand of products made by Nestlé. In fact, Nesquik used to be known as Nestle Quik in the United States. The company renamed the drink mix in the 1950s to Nesquik. Interestingly, in some locations, the drink was called Coco Cops. In 2017 (this seems to be a popular year for change), the company decided to revamp the recipe by reducing its sugar content.
As you can imagine, Nesquik fans were not happy.
Despite the outrage, Nestlé promised the recent recipe changes supported the company’s “nutrition and health commitments.”
Fun fact: Did you know there used to be a Nesquik Honey Powder? Apparently, the company tried quite a few flavor combinations, including Nesquik Banana Powder, Nesquik Strawberry Powder, Nesquik Vanilla Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Cherry Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Mango Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Cream Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Triple Chocolate Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Honey Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Crème Soda Powder (discontinued), Nesquik Caramel Powder (discontinued), and Nesquik Cookies & Cream Powder (discontinued).
5. Domino’s Pizza
🍕 is here.
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) August 24, 2019
🏈 is here.
We are here for it. pic.twitter.com/lUu3hUIaED
Domino’s was founded in 1960 by two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan.
Way back when Domino’s Pizza was called DomiNick’s. Weird, right? Want to know what’s crazier? Two brothers bought the chain, which was just one location at the time, for just $500! Five years later, Tom renamed the restaurant Domino’s Pizza. Now, Domino’s has more than 5,600 pizza restaurants in the United States.
It’s true, Domino’s grew quickly.
One brick-and-mortar location in 1967 turned into two locations in 1968. And before we knew it, there were 200 more shops. But even with its impressive growth rate, Domino’s struggled quite a bit. Isn’t every commercial almost like an apology?
In 2010, though, Domino’s completely changed the company’s core pizza recipe. It was the first time the chain did something so drastic in 50 years. In hopes of creating the perfect pizza, the company carried out a blind taste test with more than 1,800 random pizza consumers. Fortunately, the new recipe beat out the company’s main competitors – Papa John’s and Pizza Hut.
6. Coca-Cola
Coke was originally intended to be a patent medicine.
Most Coca-Cola lovers would be able to tell you the difference between Pepsi and Coke the second it touches their lips. But did you know Coca-Cola changed its special formula in 1985?
According to Time, the new recipe was described as a sweeter version of the already very sugary drink. But it didn’t take long for the original recipe to make its way back on the shelf.
Within three months Coke “Classic” was back.
Want to know another fun fact? In the 1890s, Coca-Cola claimed to have medicinal properties. One ad, for example, read: “A Delightful Summer or Winter Drink. For Headache or Tired Feeling. Relieves Mental and Physical Exhaustion.” Considering the drink actually contained cocaine, we guess it kind of makes sense?
7. Oreo
Can you believe Oreo was invented in 1912?
Oreos are the best-selling cookies in the United States. Though, we probably don’t have to tell you this. The “Oreo Biscuit” was created by the National Biscuit Company (which is now known as Nabisco) in 1912. It originated in New York’s Chelsea Market.
In 1921, the company changed the name “Oreo Biscuit” to “Oreo Sandwich.”
Then, in 1948, the name was changed once again to “Oreo Crème Sandwich.” The company didn’t decide on a final name until 1974, but they settled on “Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie.”
Sam Porcello, Nabisco’s principal food scientist, developed the original Oreo cookie filling recipe. However, in 1997, the recipe changed to replace the pig lard with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. This move wasn’t a cheap one, though. According to the Cornell Chronicle, the switch to become Kosher took three whole years.
8. Butterfinger
Who the hell asked for a better Butterfinger? pic.twitter.com/6EW2t6ICxm
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 13, 2018
Butterfinger is owned by the Ferrara Candy Company (which is owned by Ferrero).
But, in 1932, the Curtis Candy Company created the Butterfinger. And the company’s president, Otto Schnering, held a public contest to choose a name for his newest creation. As a publicity stunt, he dropped Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars from planes in cities across the United States.
Although the Butterfinger made $598 million in sales in 2010, the company completely relaunched the candy in January 2019.
Ferrero even added a brand-new tagline to the Butterfinger marketing campaign when they took over. It read, “Nobody lays a finger on my better Butterfinger.” Despite the “better Butterfinger” tagline, though, customers weren’t happy, as per usual.
“The new recipe has removed most of the flavor and leaves a nasty aftertaste,” former Butterfinger fan Bob Walker told Business Insider. “Unless the new recipe is changed, hopefully back to the old, Butterfinger will disappear as a brand within two years.”
9. McDonald’s Apple Pie
2018 in Review: we served up a new @McDonalds Apple Pie! The pie is made with fewer ingredients, such as sugar, sliced 100-percent American grown apples & a bit of cinnamon to the filling for flavor to give each one that homemade taste our customers love: https://t.co/sHwuDNGqTX pic.twitter.com/KJW32CTDDs
— McDonald's Corporation (@McDonaldsCorp) December 31, 2018
The chain introduced a “NEW Apple Pie” in 2018.
In 1968, McDonald’s introduced deep-fried pies. And in 1992, the chain switched to baked pies. While apples were the sole fillings for years, the company added cherry, strawberry, s’mores, and other limited-time flavors to the menu over time. Even so, the original remained a fan favorite.
Accordingly, Mickey D lovers felt outraged in September of 2018 when McDonald’s changed the Apple Pie recipe.
“Our new freshly baked Apple pie recipe is in line with other positive changes we have made,” says Tiffany Briggs, a McDonald’s spokesperson. “We removed, for example, artificial preservatives from our Chicken McNuggets and switched to real butter in our breakfast sandwiches because those changes matter to our guests.”
Does healthier mean tastier?
The new recipe is just 240 calories per serving with 36 grams of carbs and 16 grams of sugar. The company also replaced the original brown sugar coating with sprinkled sugar. But some of the especially loyal fans revolted.
“I don’t know one person who likes the new McDonalds apple pie,” one Twitter user wrote. “PLEASE bring the old ones back.”
