Goldfish (cracker) facts for kids
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Cheddar Goldfish crackers
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| Type | Crackers |
|---|---|
| Owner | Pepperidge Farm |
| Country | United States Switzerland Canada |
| Introduced | 1962 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Kambly |
| Tagline | "The Snack that Smiles Back" |
Goldfish are popular fish-shaped crackers. They have a tiny eye and a smile printed on them. These fun crackers are made by Pepperidge Farm, which is part of the Campbell Soup Company.
You might know their famous saying: "The Snack That Smiles Back! Goldfish!" They even have a cool mascot named Finn, who is a smiling goldfish wearing sunglasses. Goldfish crackers are known as a "baked snack cracker" and come in many different flavors.
Contents
The Story of Goldfish Crackers
Goldfish crackers were first created in 1958. A man named Oscar J. Kambly invented them in Switzerland. He worked for a biscuit company called Kambly. He made the crackers to celebrate his wife, who was a Pisces. Pisces is an astrological sign shaped like a fish!
In 1962, the founder of Pepperidge Farm, Margaret Rudkin, discovered Goldfish. She tried them while on vacation in Switzerland. She loved them so much that she brought them to the United States.
When Goldfish first came to the US, there were five flavors. These were lightly salted (called "original"), cheese, barbecue, pizza, and 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.
Goldfish in the 2000s
Pepperidge Farm has added many new and exciting Goldfish flavors over the years. They have made special limited-time flavors, like Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Grahams. They also made a spicy Frank's RedHot flavor, which became so popular it's now a regular flavor!
In 2022, they introduced "Mega Bites," which are bigger Goldfish crackers. The company has also tried making Goldfish crisps from potato to taste more like potato chips.
These new ideas have helped Goldfish become very popular. In 2024, it was the fastest-growing cracker brand in the United States. Sales have gone up by 33% since 2021!
Goldfish Flavors You Can Find
Goldfish crackers come in many different kinds. Here are some of the popular ones:
- Original (lightly salted)
- 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
Different Shapes and Colors of Goldfish
Most of these special Goldfish are cheddar flavored. There are also mixtures that combine two 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
Goldfish Products No Longer Made
Here are some Goldfish products that are not sold anymore:
- 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. In the UK, they are called "Finz," but they are the same product. In Switzerland, where they were invented, the original flavor is called Goldfischli.
Goldfish were also sold in Australia under the Arnott's brand.
Other Goldfish Products
Pepperidge Farm has made several other products based on Goldfish. These include Goldfish Sandwich Crackers and Flavor-Blasted Goldfish. There's also Goldfish bread and multi-colored Goldfish. Baby Goldfish are smaller than the regular ones. 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
On July 23, 2018, Pepperidge Farm learned about a possible issue. One of their ingredient suppliers reported that whey powder, used in some Goldfish seasonings, might contain a type of germ called salmonella. Salmonella can make people sick.
Because of this, four types of Goldfish crackers were quickly taken off store shelves. These included Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavor Blasted Sour Slammin' Cream and Onion, Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and Goldfish Mix Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel. Pepperidge Farm removed the affected crackers right away to keep everyone safe.
See also
