Frequently Asked Questions About Retro Foods
What happened to Space Food Sticks?
Space Food Sticks were discontinued by their original producer, Pillsbury, in the 1970s as the public fascination with the space program waned. Their novelty wore off, and they couldn’t compete with traditional snack foods. However, due to their iconic status and persistent nostalgia, the trademark was acquired by a new company, and a reformulated version is now available for purchase online.
Why do companies discontinue popular snacks?
There are several common reasons. The most frequent is declining sales; even if a product has a loyal following, it might not be profitable enough to justify its production costs. Other factors include supply chain issues for specific ingredients, changing health and dietary trends that make a product seem outdated, or brand consolidation, where a large company decides to focus its resources on its best-selling flagship products and cuts the rest of the portfolio.
Can I still buy any of these forgotten foods?
In some rare cases, yes. Products with intense cult followings, like Hydrox and Space Food Sticks, have been revived by new companies after the original trademarks lapsed. Others, like Quisp, are sometimes available online or in specialty stores as a niche product. For most, however, the original versions are gone forever. The best you can do is find modern snacks that are similar in taste or texture, or try one of the many copycat recipes available online.
