Giant companies have a tendency to crush our favorite brands at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, the loss is a real tragedy; we all shed a collective tear when the Choco Taco bit the dust. Other times, as was the case with TaB Soda, no one really bat an eye. When it comes to Cheese Nips, your reaction to their demise really depends on if you come from a Cheez-It household or a Cheese Nip household. Some of you may not think twice, while others may still be in mourning. This article is for the latter group.
What happened to Cheese Nips?
Cheese Nips hit shelves in 1955 and were designed to be a competitor to the well-established Cheez-It brand that had been in existence in some form or another since 1907. Side-by-side, the cheesy crackers are pretty much the same, so the choice really came down to if you would rather eat an “It” or a “Nip.”
Food brands that have been around as long as Cheese Nips tend to have quite a tumultuous history. For Cheese Nips, their journey started at Nabisco. Nabisco would go on to merge with cigarette makers RJ Reynolds, then be bought by Philip Morris Corp who merged it with Kraft. Both Kraft and Nabisco are now owned by mega-corporation Mondalez International.
Now, compare that to Cheez-It, which has essentially been a Kellogg brand since its inception. That means Cheese Nips not only got started much later than its competitor, it also had a much bumpier ride. You can imagine how hard it might be to maintain a product through so many changes.
Even though Cheese Nips were a popular alternative to Cheez-Its and they had a long, 60-plus year history, Mondalez decided to discontinue them in 2020.
Why were Cheese Nips discontinued?
At the end of 2019, there was a massive recall of Cheese Nips because harmful plastics were found inside the packages. A recall like this can be extremely harmful to a brand, especially if they were already experiencing lagging sales. Representatives from Nabisco claimed both the recall and poor sales as the reasons for Cheese Nips being discontinued.
My personal conspiracy theory? Cheese Nips are just another casualty of the capricious whims of mega-capitalism, dictated by international conglomerates who only care about lining the pockets of their investors. But that’s just me.
Are Cheese Nips coming back?
Technically, if you go to Canada you can get your Cheese Nips fix. Up there, Nabisco foods are branded as Christie and their version is called “Ritz Cheese Nibs.” Superfans might consider setting up a border operation to bring them back into the States.
But the sad reality is Cheese Nips as us Americans know them are probably gone forever. It’s hard to bounce back from being discontinued. Also, in the intervening four years since, Cheez-Its have seized the market, elevating the tiny cheese-flavored cracker game to new heights with their Taco Bell partnership. That might be the final nail in the Cheese Nips’ coffin.
