The 1990s were a wild time for snack food innovation, and by “innovation,” we mostly mean dumping sugar, artificial dyes, and mystery ingredients into anything edible. Kids were living their best lives with brightly colored treats that turned tongues blue and drinks that had no business being shelf-stable for three years.
But have some of those snacks tried to launch today? They’d get laughed out of the Whole Foods parking lot. From radioactive-looking drinks to snacks that practically dared the FDA, here are 15 nostalgic favorites that would raise eyebrows in 2025.
15. 3D Doritos
They were crunchy, puffy, and somehow sharper than regular Doritos. Between the aggressive flavors and a texture that felt like it could slice your gums, these probably wouldn’t make it past a modern focus group.
14. Dunkaroos
Frosting as a dip for cookies sounded normal when you were seven. Today, that would likely get a side-eye from any parent who’s seen a food label in the last decade.
13. Orbitz
A drink with floating gelatin balls that looked like lava lamp leftovers? Let’s say no wellness influencer would touch this with a ten-foot glass straw.
12. Squeezit
These sugary drinks came in squeezable plastic bottles and colors not found in nature. One sip probably exceeded your sugar intake for the entire week.
11. Gushers
Fruit snacks that exploded with neon goo when you bit into them felt like a science experiment gone deliciously wrong. These days, that goo would need at least three disclaimers and a parental advisory label.
10. Shark Bites
Each pack had a “great white” that felt like winning the lottery—except the lottery was full of high-fructose corn syrup and red dye #40. They were marketed as fruit snacks, but let’s be honest, these were candy in disguise.
9. Ecto Cooler
Originally a tie-in with Ghostbusters, this “juice” glowed an eerie green and had more sugar than most desserts. Nothing about it screamed “hydration,” but we drank it like liquid gold.
8. Fruitopia
The branding screamed peace and love, but the ingredients list was all sugar and mystery chemicals. It looked like juice, but your pancreas knew the truth.
7. Butterfinger BB’s
Tiny butter-flavored balls that somehow always melted into a chocolatey mess in your pocket. There’s no way a modern snack safety panel would approve that chocolate dust disaster.
6. Lunchables Pizza
Raw crust, a squirt of sauce, and a handful of cold shredded cheese? It was marketed as “build-your-own fun,” but it might be considered culinary negligence today.
5. Pepsi Blue
Bright blue soda that tasted like melted candy was a particular chaos. In 2025, it would be banned simply for looking like windshield wiper fluid.
4. Push Pops
You had to stick your fingers all over the candy to get it to work, then shove it back into the plastic tube until next time. The hygiene risks alone would make a public health expert weep.
3. Bubble Jug
This gum, in powder form, magically turned chewy after a few seconds in your mouth. Nobody knows why or how, so it wouldn’t pass a single regulation today.
Read More: 10 Popular Snacks That Contain Ingredients Banned in Other Countries
2. Yoo-hoo
A chocolate drink that somehow didn’t need refrigeration and still wasn’t quite milk. Whatever was keeping it shelf-stable probably shouldn’t be inside humans.
Read More: Discontinued Foods From the 90s We Want Back
1. Trix Yogurt
Swirled neon yogurt in colors like electric purple and slime green felt fun at the time. But now, if it doesn’t come with probiotics and a compostable container, it’s not getting past the snack gatekeepers.
Read More: What You Need to Know About the FDA’s Ban on Red Dye No. 3
