The Once-Popular Canned Pasta No One Eats Anymore

Many of you probably ate canned pasta growing up. Campbell's SpaghettiOs and everything from Chef Boyardee were staples of many American childhoods, but these weren't always the only canned pasta brands. Starting in 1939, there was one pasta that many Gen Xers still remember fondly even if it's a canned food that people stopped eating. This dubious delicacy is Franco-American Macaroni and Cheese.

Although the Franco-American brand started in 1887, this canned meal had its heyday starting in the mid-1900s. Ads during this high point boast ingredients like farm butter, milk, and self-cured cheddar. To prep it, you just had to place it in a saucepan and heat it while stirring. The ads also claimed the canned mac had more protein per serving than a farm fresh egg. Those who tried it remember the pasta being incredibly soft, while the cheese had an artificial taste. Yet many of the same people who say it was disgusting profess that it's also craveable and comforting like no other canned food.

The Internet still recollects this canned delight with yearning. One Redditor recalled, "This stuff was my favorite growing up, no fancy recipes though, right out of the can!" One fan on Facebook also remembered it lovingly, remarking, "The original noodles were the best, like fat spaghetti, my brother and I used to eat them by the boatload. We nicknamed them WHITE WORMS and to this day my mum still calls them that!" If you're curious to try this unusual canned offering, you'll unfortunately have to stay curious, because it no longer exists. For many, it's a discontinued canned food they miss the most.

This pasta had a very good run. It was enjoyed for over six decades, even though it used something similar to bucatini, not macaroni noodles. It gained popularity in the latter half of the 1900s partially due to the numerous recipes Franco-American published which made use of the canned staple. The fan following was so strong that Franco-American merged it with another popular canned pasta, SpaghettiOs, creating MacaroniOs in 1967. However, it all came to an end in 2004.

That year, Franco-American's parent company, Campbell Soup Co., decided to stop using the Franco-American brand for canned pasta. Competitors were making more money, and the Campbell name was stronger. While Franco-American still makes gravy, this move took out many canned pasta products, including Macaroni and Cheese. SpaghettiOs managed to survive and is now sold under the Campbell's name, but the others simply disappeared. You can still find retro cans of the macaroni for sale online, but they're old enough to be showpieces, not meals. There are a few similar products, such as a popular U.K. canned mac and cheese brand, but many say it's not worth the price.

Some people won't let this pasta go quietly into the night, though. Over 20 years later, there are still Facebook groups and petitions to bring back the old favorite. As of writing, the petition has over 1,000 signatures on Change.org. Campbell has shown no sign of reviving the cheesy delight, however. Instead, you'll have to give one of the numerous online copycat recipes a try or experiment with a classic 3-cheese mac and cheese recipe and hope for the best.