People who love breakfast cereal hold their favorites in a sort of reverence.
In most cases that means sugary cereals that aren't very good for you. People love cereals like Lucky Charms. Fruity Pebbles, Trix and Cocoa Puffs. Those are indulgences but reasonable ones.
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Yes, you would be better off eating Cheerios and Raisin Bran, but few people get excited by brands like those. Sugary cereals get kids who might skip breakfast to eat something and give adults a little happiness before they head off to work.
When a company makes a change to a beloved cereal, that can send shockwaves through customers. It doesn't happen very often and it's even rarer for a big cereal maker to remove a core brand from its lineup.
Sure, cereal variants come and go all the time. Few people, however, hold a place in their hearts for French Toast Crunch the way they do for Taylor Swift's favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
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The same logic would apply if Post removed Poppin' Pebbles from its lineup, while Lebron James would likely be furious if his beloved Fruity Pebbles were taken away.
Now, Post has removed from its lineup a fan favorite cereal tied to one of the biggest consumer products ever.
Image source: Nabisco
Post replaces Oreo O's
Since Nabisco introduced the Oreo in 1912, it has become perhaps the world's most successful cookie. In addition to dozens of different variants on the famed cookie, the current owner, Mondelez (MDLZ) , has licensed the Oreo in countless places.
Oreo is the basis of cookies and cream ice cream (even if it isn't always credited), and it has appeared in everything from pies to McDonald's McFlurry to a popular Post (POST) breakfast cereal. That cereal appears to be no more.
"Oreo O’s have officially been discontinued by Post after almost thirty years," the SnackWithZach Instagram page reported.
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That change has been verified by checking online shelves at a number of major retailers, which sell cereal.
"Introduced here in the states in 1997, this isn’t the first time we’ve said goodbye to this cereal," he wrote. "In 2007, it was cancelled and then brought back in 2017 in a permanent capacity. Now, Oreo O’s have been replaced by Oreo Puffs, a similar offering with marshmallows."
Oreo still has a breakfast cereal
While Post has discontinued Oreo O's, it has not gotten out of the Oreo cereal business. Oreo Puffs replace the Cheerio-like "Os" with a chocolate puff that looks a lot like a Cocoa Puff.
It's a controversial change to say the least.
"The puffs just don't seem appealing at all," wrote Ohimara in response to the post.
Some suggest that fans of the original might be able to still get them.
"When Oreo O’s was originally discontinued, the South Korean import version became popular," atownandrew posted. "I wonder if that will become a popular import item again (assuming they continue to make it there)."
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Others say the cereal has not been the same for many years.
"It doesn't taste the same as the original ones back in the 90s. I was excited to try them a few years ago and they tasted way different," posted _aveedgy.
Mandolin_Pacheco22 had the most serious reaction (for a good reason) to the news.
"It most definitely is the end of the world for me. It was my favorite cereal. Also I’m five months pregnant and it’s all I want. I’m outraged and I don’t understand the need for the switch," she wrote.
