Dip disaster and other stories

Christina Persico laments the end of her favourite labneh dip and sheds a tear for the foods that have, quite literally, gone off.

We’ve all been there – that apparently normal trip to the supermarket that ends in despair.

You rock up the aisle looking for your CC’s chips or Tangy Fruits or Snifters, only to find the shelf empty.

I know this is the definition of a first world problem, but when this happens week after week you realise in this capital-driven world, companies don’t give a toss if that sauce you love no longer exists. If it’s not raking in the cash it’s not worth producing, broken hearts be damned.

I first met my favourite dip, The Collective Sweet Chilli Labneh, in mid-2017 when my landlady brought home some leftovers from her supermarket demonstrations. There was also harissa and capsicum pesto flavours, but sweet chilli had my heart straight away. There was nothing better than settling in with a movie on a Saturday afternoon with my sweet chilli labneh and thick-cut chips.

Note the past tense.

The Collective has now confirmed that all three of their labneh dips have been discontinued nationwide, basically because they were not selling enough.

Marketing manager Kate Fisken says tastings with the product had been popular but it hadn’t met the performance expectations they had in place.

‘‘It just didn’t get that groundswell,’’ she said.

‘‘Performance is always going to be monitored. We really loved it and we were really disappointed to see it go.’’

Over the years, this world has lost many products that, for better or worse, just weren’t commercially viable.

With the help of some of our readers – here are others we have loved and lost...

CC’s chips (‘‘Only CC’s EEs tasting like these’’ – I still remember that slogan). As a kid I used to choose those at the dairy every

time. There was a small mutiny when CC’s and Aztecs were kicked out by Doritos.)

Snifters, Mammoth dips (especially nacho cheese flavour), Bugs & Mud cereal (wowsers, they’ve stopped making that?), Munchos O-rings, Krispa chips, Tangy Fruits, Sparkles, Roll Ups . . . the list goes on.

That said, New Zealand cuisine has diversified enormously and perhaps it is only natural that as tastes expand, others fade, or at least don’t have the pull they once did. There’s a lot more to choose from now.

And it’s an ongoing process as supermarkets and other food chains strive to keep their customers.

A Countdown spokesperson said the goal of zero food waste to landfill by 2020 means having the right range of products is critical.

‘‘At Countdown we are constantly reviewing our product ranges to stay on top of trends and ensure we have the right stock in the right stores for our customers. This can result in certain products being removed from our range, especially if they aren’t popular and selling.’’

Janine Mullen put it well on Facebook: ‘‘I will never forget the day I asked a supermarket worker where the Pebbles were and he said ‘they don’t make them anymore’ and I almost had to have a mental breakdown in the aisle. He said ‘ ...... M&Ms...?’ And I wailed even louder.’’