30 Failed Food Inventions From Your Favorite Brands

1. Coca-Cola BlāK

Image Source: Reddit

This coffee-flavored soft drink was introduced by Coca-Cola in 2006. However, it was only on the market for less than two years before being discontinued! Consumers didn’t care for the taste. They also had trouble identifying if it was a soda or a coffee beverage.

2. Crystal Pepsi

Image Source: Reddit

This soft drink was supposed to be a healthier, less sweet alternative to Pepsi. However, consumers found the flavor to be too bland. Crystal Pepsi didn’t have the traditional caramel color and accompanying ingredients that contribute to Pepsi’s popular taste.

3. Reddi-Bacon

Image Source: Reddit

Did you know that the makers of Reddi-Whip tried to make toaster bacon popular back in the 1960s?! In 90 seconds, consumers could cook eight slices of bacon wrapped in foil and paper. Turns out, the concept was a fire hazard and had to be taken off the market.

4. Ore-Ida Funky Fries

Image Source: Reddit

If you were born in the 90s, you might remember these rainbow colored french fries from your youth! They hit the shelves in 2002 and came in three flavors: chocolate, cinnamon, and a mysterious blue color. However, they were pulled from the market a year later.

5. Cheetos Lip Balm

Image Source: Reddit

This popular snack tried to break into the lip balm business in 2005, but it wasn’t the hit they imagined it would be and was eventually discontinued! Turns out people like to snack on Cheetos, but they don’t necessarily want their lips to taste like cheese around the clock.

6. Ben & Jerry's Black & Tan Ice Cream

Image Source: Gourmetish

Back in 2006, Ben & Jerry’s offended some of their consumers by naming a new ice cream flavor “Black & Tan”. This was the nickname of a violent British militia that enforced deadly military oppression in Ireland during the 1920s. As you can imagine, many people were upset by this!

7. Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup

Image Source: Reddit

These artificially colored condiments came in green, blue, purple, and a mystery color. They saw decent sales for a few years, but eventually, consumers lost interest. This might be because when all of the colors were mixed together, the ketchup turned brown.

8. Colgate Kitchen Entrees

Image Source: Reddit

If you don’t typically associate your toothpaste brand with frozen meals, you’re not alone. However, Colgate tried to expand their business and break into the frozen meal industry during the 1980s! Consumers never really caught on, so the line was discontinued.

9. C*caine Energy Drink

Image Source: Reddit

Naming a beverage after an illegal drug might not be the best move! This energy drink was actually banned by the FDA because of its name in 2007. However, it hit the shelves again after the company complied with the FDA’s requests and is now available for purchase in the U.S.

10. Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water

Image Source: Reddit

Turns out that Coors fans don’t want sparkling water. They just want beer! When the company tried to introduce a non-alcoholic bubbly drink that came in different flavors, it wasn’t very well received. After a couple of years, it was pulled from the shelves.

11. Starbucks Vivanno

Image Source: Cheap Appetite 

Did you know that Starbucks used to have a smoothie line?! They wanted to offer a healthier drink option for consumers who were invested in health and wellness. This actually wasn’t a bad idea, but sales never took off and the line was eventually dropped.

12. Frito-Lay Lemonade

Image Source: Reddit

Frito-Lay is usually associated with their salty snacks, so lemonade was quite the brand pivot for them! The company figured it made sense to release a thirst-quenching product to go with their chips, but consumers never connected with the new release.

13. McDonald's McHotDog

Image Source: Reddit

During the 1990s, this seasonal menu item was available during the summer months. However, it was off the menu by the end of the decade. Supposedly, Ray Kroc (the entrepreneur who expanded McDonald’s) was not a fan of the idea because of quality control issues.

14. Kellogg's Cereal Mates

Image Source: YouTube

If you need a quick breakfast, what’s more convenient than a small box of cereal with a container of milk and a plastic spoon?! Kellogg’s thought this idea was genius, but consumers did not agree. The line was a major flop and had to be pulled from stores.

15. Burger King Satisfries

Image Source: Reddit

Burger King’s attempt at “healthier” french fries were not a hit with consumers. This might be because their marketing efforts were not successful. Satisfries were more expensive than regular fries, and the calorie difference wasn’t significant. Some consumers nicknamed them “saddest fries”.

16. New Coke

Image Source: Vox

Back in 1985, Coca-Cola was losing business to Pepsi. In an attempt to win back customers, they came out with a new and improved formula. However, it was a huge flop! Consumers were furious, so Coca Cola went back to their original formula and called it Coca-Cola Classic.

17. WOW! Chips

Image Source: Reddit

These fat-free chips were made with olestra, which acts as a laxative when consumed in large quantities. Initially, this "guilt-free" snack seemed like a dieter's dream. But after the side effects affected multiple people with cramps and diarrhea, sales dropped.

18. McDonald's Arch Deluxe Burger

Image Source: Mashed

This "sophisticated" burger "for grownups" was a very expensive flop for McDonald's. Millions of dollars were dedicated to advertising and marketing, but very few people found the idea appealing. It wasn't on the market long before being discontinued.

19. LESTERS Bacon Soda

Image Source: Reddit

Bacon soda, anyone?! You can still find this salty beverage on Amazon, but you probably won't have luck finding it anywhere else. Lester's also offers some additional flavors that sound absolutely awful, like Ranch, Sweet Corn, and Bacon Chocolate. Yuck!

20. Gerbers Singles

Image Source: Reddit

In 1974, Gerber Singles was introduced to the world as a single serving, ready-to-eat food for college students and busy adults who needed nutritious meals on the go. Some of the offered flavors were Beef Burgundy and Ham Casserole. Unfortunately though, this spin on baby food was a flop.

21. Life Savers Soda

Image Source: Reddit

This invention doesn't sound terrible, in theory, but sales never took off. Supposedly, consumers weren't into the idea of drinking liquid candy, even though the product performed well in taste tests before it was launched. Nowadays, you can drop Life Savers into soda for a similar taste!

22. Jimmy Dean Pancake Wrapped Sausages

Image Source: Freezer Meal Frenzy

Jimmy Dean had good intentions when they released this line of pancake-wrapped sausages. Combining sweet and savory, and conveniently positioned on a stick, they sounded like a good idea! However, consumers weren't a fan of the taste, texture, and lack of nutrition.

23. Pepsi Blue

Image Source: Reddit

In 2004, Pepsi Blue was discontinued for two main reasons. Number one, PepsiCo used Blue 1, a controversial food dye, to color the soda. Number two, consumers weren't sure of the taste (which was supposed to mimic berries). Instead, it had a "chemical aftertaste".

24. Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino

Image Source: Reddit

This drink is beautiful to admire, but terrible to drink...according to Starbucks fans, at least! This frappuccino was so complicated to make that baristas publicly complained about the process on social media. Consumers also complained about the bad taste.

25. Celery JELL-O

Image Source: Reddit

Back in the 60's, JELL-O introduced four savory flavors: celery, Italian, mixed vegetable, and seasoned tomato. The company hoped that consumers would catch on and create savory dishes with JELL-O, not just sweet. However, many people were horrified by the idea of savory JELL-O and hesitant to try it.

26. Four Loko (with Caffeine)

Image Source: Vox

Four Loko wasn't exactly a fail with consumers. Many people loved it, but the drink was banned after college students were hospitalized after ingesting the drink. Caffeinated, alcoholic drinks were found to be dangerous to consume, and the FDA forced Four Loko to remove its stimulant ingredients.

27. Watermelon Oreos

Image Source: NBC News

These cookies look like a fun ode to sunshine and warmer weather, but the ingredients are alarming! There's no actual watermelon in these festive cookies...just a long list of artificial ingredients and flavors. Consumers weren't sold on the taste, either.

28. Orbitz Soda

Image Source: Reddit

Despite being marketed as a soda, this fruit beverage was noncarbonated and looked very similar to a lava lamp. The brand has a cult following, but apparently the unrecognizable taste, along with the drink's strange, chewable texture, threw off consumers.

29. McDonald's Spaghetti

Image Source: Reddit

McDonald's tried their hand at pasta products in the late 80s and early 90s, but consumers were ultimately not interested! Supposedly, McDonald's was trying to compete with fast food Italian sports, such as Domino's and Pizza Hut. They also tried an alfredo dish and lasagna.

30. Taco Bell Seafood Salad

Image Source: Reddit

If the idea of a seafood salad at Taco Bell grosses you out, you're not alone! During the 1980s, Taco Bell tried to make this dish popular. However, there were multiple incidents of food poisoning that were connected to the meal. After that, it was discontinued.