Some grocery store memories have nothing to do with the food itself. Sometimes, it’s the pink soda can, the familiar pancake mix box, or the frozen treat you always searched for on a summer afternoon.
But grocery shelves don’t stay the same forever. In 2020, Coca-Cola announced plans to retire several beverages, including TaB. In 2023, Nabisco’s parent company confirmed that its Famous Chocolate Wafers had been removed from production. Other familiar names disappeared because companies changed their packaging and branding.
Not every product on this list vanished completely. Some were discontinued, while others continued under different names.
Still, these nine products and labels tell an interesting story about how American grocery shopping has changed.
TaB Diet Soda: The Can That Became a Memory
Long before grocery shelves were crowded with different diet sodas, Coca-Cola introduced TaB in 1963. It was the company’s first diet soft drink, recognizable for its distinctive pink packaging and loyal following.
For decades, TaB occupied its own corner of the beverage aisle. That changed in October 2020, when Coca-Cola announced it would retire the brand while reducing the number of products in its portfolio. CNN reported the decision on October 16, 2020, confirming that the familiar soda would no longer be produced.
The announcement didn’t establish that every remaining can would instantly disappear, but it marked the end of an important chapter in Coca-Cola’s history.
Coca-Cola Life: The Green-Labeled Cola That Didn’t Last
Coca-Cola Life stood out for a reason unrelated to its familiar bottle shape. Instead of the traditional red label, the drink featured green packaging and a sugar-and-stevia-sweetened formula.
It was another attempt to give shoppers something different within the Coca-Cola family. However, Coca-Cola Life became part of the company’s 2020 portfolio changes.
According to CNBC’s October 2020 reporting, the drink was among the products scheduled for discontinuation by the end of that year.
The decision concerned the company’s U.S. portfolio and shouldn’t be interpreted as proof that every international version disappeared simultaneously.
Coca-Cola Energy: A Short-Lived Experiment
Coca-Cola Energy brought the familiar cola brand into a different part of the beverage aisle. Launched in the United States in January 2020, the product combined cola flavor with an energy-drink format. But its American run was relatively brief.
In May 2021, Reuters reported that Coca-Cola planned to discontinue the drink in North America. The decision came less than two years after it launched in the U.S. That doesn’t mean Coca-Cola abandoned all energy- or caffeine-related beverages. The announcement applied only to this product line.
For shoppers who remember seeing Coca-Cola Energy alongside other canned energy drinks, its appearance and departure happened in a surprisingly short time.
Sierra Mist: The Lemon-Lime Soda Replaced by Starry
Sierra Mist was a familiar name in PepsiCo’s beverage collection for years. Then, in January 2023, shoppers learned that the brand was being replaced.
PepsiCo announced the nationwide introduction of Starry, a lemon-lime soda available in regular and zero-sugar versions. CNN reported that the new drink replaced Sierra Mist in the company’s lineup.
But this wasn’t simply Sierra Mist poured into a differently labeled bottle. PepsiCo described Starry as having a distinct citrus flavor. So while lemon-lime soda remains readily available, the familiar Sierra Mist name became part of grocery-store history.
Related: 10 Discontinued American Snacks Fans Still Want Back revisits other familiar products that disappeared from store shelves.
Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers: A Baker’s Old Favorite
Some discontinued products leave behind more than a space on a grocery shelf. They leave home bakers searching for substitutes.
Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers were thin, crisp cookies commonly used in icebox cakes and chocolate crumb crusts. Their history stretched back to 1924. But in 2023, the company removed the cookies from its product range.
The Washington Post reported that a Mondelēz International representative confirmed the wafers had been removed from the lineup. The newspaper also tested alternative cookies for familiar desserts.
Chocolate wafer cookies still exist, but Nabisco’s specific version had earned a place in many old recipe collections.
Klondike Choco Taco: The Frozen Treat That Left Fans Disappointed
The Choco Taco was one of those frozen desserts whose shape made it memorable before the first bite. Instead of an ordinary cone, the treat used a taco-shaped waffle shell filled with ice cream, then topped with chocolate and peanuts. Then came an unexpected announcement.
In July 2022, Klondike confirmed it was discontinuing the product after nearly four decades. Associated Press reporting documented the decision and the disappointed reactions that followed.
New ice cream tacos have appeared since then, but they aren’t automatically the original Klondike product. For longtime fans, a similar dessert isn’t necessarily the one they remember.
Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix and Syrup: A Familiar Name Retired
For generations, the Aunt Jemima name appeared on pancake mixes and syrup bottles. That changed after PepsiCo decided to retire the branding.
On February 9, 2021, PepsiCo announced that the products would become Pearl Milling Company, with new packaging arriving beginning in June. The company linked the decision to concerns about racial stereotypes tied to the previous brand.
Importantly, the pancake mixes and syrups weren’t discontinued simply because the name changed. Pearl Milling Company continued offering familiar product varieties.
What disappeared was the old identity shoppers had recognized for decades, not the breakfast products themselves.
Uncle Ben’s Rice: The Orange Package With a New Identity
Uncle Ben’s rice was another grocery brand whose packaging underwent a major transformation.
In September 2020, Mars announced that the brand would become Ben’s Original. The company also removed the familiar portrait from the packaging to address racial stereotypes.
By May 2021, Mars confirmed that Ben’s Original products were available in new packaging throughout the United States. The recognizable orange background remained, helping shoppers identify the rice they knew. This is an important distinction: the name disappeared, but the rice business continued.
Sometimes, a grocery shelf looks different even when the products behind the packaging remain familiar.
Eskimo Pie: The Ice Cream Bar Renamed Edy’s Pie
Another familiar frozen dessert name changed in 2020. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream announced that Eskimo Pie would become Edy’s Pie, retiring the former name and imagery because of concerns about racial stereotypes. The new name honored Joseph Edy, one of the company’s founders.
According to USA Today’s reporting, production under the previous branding had stopped, with new packaging expected in early 2021. The announcement documented a name change, not the disappearance of chocolate-covered ice cream bars as a category.
Current store availability would require a separate check, but the old label’s retirement is well established.
Why Grocery Shelves Never Stay the Same
These nine names disappeared for different reasons. TaB, Coca-Cola Life, Coca-Cola Energy, Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, and the Choco Taco were discontinued. Sierra Mist was replaced by a new product. Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, and Eskimo Pie underwent branding changes.
That means a missing label doesn’t always mean the food itself is gone. Some products leave behind loyal fans and cherished recipes. Others survive in recognizable forms beneath unfamiliar packaging.
The next time you walk into a grocery store, look at the brands you’ve bought for years. A decade from now, the shelves may tell a very different story.
