Goldfish (cracker) facts for kids
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Cheddar Goldfish crackers
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| Type | Crackers |
|---|---|
| Owner | Pepperidge Farm |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Introduced | 1962 |
| Markets | Worldwide, except for Armenia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria |
| Previous owners | Kambly |
| Tagline | "The Snack that Smiles Back" |
Goldfish are yummy, fish-shaped crackers made by Pepperidge Farm. This company is part of the Campbell Soup Company. Each little cracker has a tiny eye and a smile printed on it. That's why their famous slogan is "The Snack That Smiles Back! Goldfish!" You might even know Finn, the cool goldfish mascot who wears sunglasses. Goldfish crackers are known as a "baked snack cracker" and come in many different flavors and types.
Contents
The Story of Goldfish Crackers
How Goldfish Began
The first Goldfish crackers were invented in 1958 by Oscar J. Kambly. He worked for a Swiss biscuit company called Kambly in Switzerland. He created the fish shape to celebrate his wife, who was a Pisces. Pisces is an astrological sign represented by a fish.
Coming to America
In 1962, the founder of Pepperidge Farm, Margaret Rudkin, discovered Goldfish crackers. She tried them while on vacation in Switzerland and loved them! She decided to bring them to the United States.
When Goldfish first arrived in the US, there were five main flavors:
- Lightly salted (now called "original")
- Cheese
- Barbecue
- Pizza
- Smoky
The most popular flavor, Cheddar cheese, didn't come out until 1966. In 1997, the famous smiley face was added to about 40% of the crackers.
New Flavors and Fun in the 2000s
Pepperidge Farm has added many exciting new flavors and types of Goldfish over the years. They often release special limited-time flavors. For example, in 2022, they introduced Mega Bites, which are bigger Goldfish crackers. They also created fun limited-edition flavors like Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Grahams and Frank's RedHot. The Frank's RedHot flavor became so popular that it's now available all the time! The company has also tried making Goldfish crisps from potato to taste more like potato chips.
Goldfish has become one of the fastest-growing cracker brands in the United States. Sales have increased a lot since 2021.
Goldfish Flavors and Shapes
Goldfish crackers come in many different varieties. Here are some of the popular ones:
- Original (also known as Saltine)
- Cheddar
- Whole Grain Cheddar
- Parmesan
- Pretzel
- Pizza
- Baby (Cheddar)
- Grahams (Vanilla Cupcake and S'mores)
- Flavor Blasted (Xtra Cheddar, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Salt and Vinegar, Cheddar Jack'd, Sour Cream & Onion, White Cheddar, Xtra Cheesy Pizza)
- Mix
- Frank's RedHot
- Old Bay Seasoned
- Jalapeno Popper
- Spicy Dill Pickle
Different Shapes and Colors
Goldfish also come in fun shapes and colors. Most of these special shapes are cheddar flavored. There are also mixtures that combine two different flavors.
- Colors (same shape as original, but in yellow, orange, red, and green, using natural colors)
- Princess (colored pink)
- Mickey Mouse (red crackers shaped like Mickey's head)
- Mega Bites (bigger than the original Goldfish)
- Star Wars
Past Goldfish Products
Some Goldfish products are no longer made. Here are a few that were once available:
- PhysEdibles (made with whole-grains)
- Puffs (launched in 2013)
- Giant Sandwich Crackers
- Giant Goldfish
- Sandwich Snackers
- Garden Cheddar
- Mac & Cheese
- Cars 3 (red crackers shaped like Lightning McQueen)
- Flavor Blasted Grahams
- Cinabuddy Snack Bites
- Cookies and Cream
Goldfish Around the World
Goldfish crackers are sold in many countries around the world. In the UK, they are called "Finz," but they are the same product. In Switzerland, where they were first invented, the original Goldfish flavor is sold as "Goldfischli." Goldfish were also sold in Australia under the Arnott's brand.
Other Goldfish Products
Pepperidge Farm has created other products inspired by Goldfish crackers. These include Goldfish Sandwich Crackers and Flavor-Blasted Goldfish. There are also multi-colored Goldfish and smaller "Baby Goldfish." Sometimes, you can find special color-changing Goldfish or colored Goldfish in variety packs. There used to be Goldfish cookies in vanilla and chocolate flavors. The chocolate flavor has returned in smaller "100 calorie" packs.
Important Safety Information
In July 2018, Pepperidge Farm learned about a possible issue with an ingredient. A supplier told them that whey powder, used in the seasoning for some Goldfish crackers, might have had a problem. To be safe, Pepperidge Farm quickly recalled four types of Goldfish crackers. These included Flavored Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavored Blast Sour Slammin' Cream and Onion, Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and Goldfish Mix Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel. All affected Goldfish crackers were immediately removed from stores to keep everyone safe.
See also
