The Cheddar Cheese Goldfish: A Tasty Origin Story

Goldfish crackers are a brand of fish-shaped crackers with an eye and a smile imprint, manufactured by Pepperidge Farm. The crackers are marketed as a baked snack with various flavours and varieties. The most popular flavour is cheddar cheese, which was introduced in 1966. The cheddar flavour is made with real cheese, specially aged for several months to give the crackers a distinctive sharp flavour. The crackers are coloured using a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers.

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Goldfish cracker history

Goldfish crackers have been a beloved snack for decades, but their history dates back to the 1950s when they were first created in Switzerland. Here is a detailed account of the Goldfish cracker history:

Origins in Switzerland

The Goldfish cracker was originally invented in 1958 by Oscar J. Kambly, the head of a Swiss biscuit manufacturer called Kambly. The fish-shaped design was inspired by his wife's astrological sign, Pisces, which is often represented by a fish. The original cracker, called Goldfischli, became a popular snack in Switzerland and was even marketed in a can as "the favourites of every happy aperitif".

In 1962, four years after their creation in Switzerland, Goldfish crackers were introduced to the United States by Margaret Rudkin, the founder of Pepperidge Farm. Rudkin had discovered the crackers while vacationing in Switzerland and acquired the license for the trademark rights, shape, and recipe. The five initial flavors launched in the US were lightly salted (original), cheese, barbecue, pizza, and smoky.

Evolution of Flavors

The Goldfish brand has since expanded significantly, introducing numerous limited-time flavors and varieties. The most popular flavor, cheddar cheese, was not introduced until 1966, four years after the initial launch. Other flavors include Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Salt and Vinegar, Cheddar Jack'd, Sour Cream & Onion, White Cheddar, and Xtra Cheesy Pizza. There are also multi-colored Goldfish, whole grain Goldfish, and even chocolate Goldfish.

Marketing and Innovations

In 1997, the Goldfish crackers added a signature smiley face to their design, appearing on approximately 40% of the crackers. The brand's marketing and packaging incorporate this feature with the slogan "The Snack That Smiles Back! Goldfish!" The Goldfish mascot, Finn, is a smiling goldfish with sunglasses. In recent years, Pepperidge Farm has continued to innovate with new flavors, such as Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Grahams and Frank's RedHot, and different shapes, such as Mega Bites (larger Goldfish crackers). The brand has also experimented with potato-based Goldfish crisps and color-changing Goldfish.

Goldfish cracker ingredients

Goldfish crackers are a brand of fish-shaped crackers with an eye and a smile imprinted on them. They were invented by Oscar J. Kambly at the Swiss biscuit manufacturer Kambly in 1958 to celebrate his wife, who was a Pisces. The crackers were introduced to the United States in 1962 by Margaret Rudkin, the founder of Pepperidge Farm, after she tried them while vacationing in Switzerland. The original Goldfish crackers were simply called "Goldfish" and were lightly salted.

Over the years, Pepperidge Farm has expanded the Goldfish brand, introducing numerous limited-time flavors and varieties beyond the traditional cheddar and pretzel options. The brand's most popular flavor, cheddar cheese, was not introduced until 1966. Other flavors include barbecue, pizza, smoky, Xtra Cheddar, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Salt and Vinegar, Cheddar Jack'd, Sour Cream & Onion, and White Cheddar.

The ingredients in Goldfish crackers vary depending on the flavor, but the original variety includes enriched wheat flour, vegetable oil (canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oils), salt, skim milk powder, yeast, sugar, ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, spices (including onion powder), and monocalcium phosphate. The red Goldfish crackers, which are often associated with the cheddar flavor, get their color from a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers.

In 2018, there was a recall of several Goldfish cracker varieties due to potential salmonella contamination from whey powder used in their seasoning. The affected flavors included Flavored Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavored Blast Sour Slammin' Cream and Onion, Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and Goldfish Mix Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel.

Goldfish cracker flavours

Goldfish crackers were invented in Switzerland in 1958 by Oscar J. Kambly, who worked for the biscuit manufacturer Kambly. The crackers were introduced to the United States in 1962 by Margaret Rudkin, the founder of Pepperidge Farm. The original Goldfish flavour was likely “Original”, which is completely flavourless. The brand's most popular flavour, Cheddar, was not introduced until 1966.

Since then, Pepperidge Farm has expanded the Goldfish brand to include numerous limited-time flavours and varieties beyond the traditional cheddar and pretzel options. The brand has also created several spin-off products, including Goldfish Sandwich Crackers, Flavor-Blasted Goldfish, Goldfish bread, multi-coloured Goldfish (known as Goldfish-American), and Baby Goldfish.

Goldfish crackers are now available in a wide range of flavours, including:

• Classic Cheddar
• Parmesan
• Pizza
• Barbecue
• Smoky
• Salt and Vinegar
• White Cheddar
• Xtra Cheesy Pizza
• Cheddar and Sour Cream
• Cheddar Jack'd
• Sour Cream and Onion
• Pretzel
• Whole Grain
• Cinnamon Roll Grahams
• Strawberry Shortcake Grahams
• Salted

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Goldfish cracker packaging

Goldfish crackers are a brand of fish-shaped crackers with an eye and a smile imprinted on them. They are manufactured by Pepperidge Farm, a division of the Campbell Soup Company. The crackers are marketed as a "baked snack cracker" with various flavours and varieties. The product's packaging incorporates the features of the cracker, with the slogan "The Snack That Smiles Back! Goldfish!". This is reinforced by the smiling goldfish mascot, Finn, who wears sunglasses.

The packaging also highlights the fact that the crackers are baked and made with real cheese. The cheddar flavour, the brand's most popular, uses real cheddar cheese that is specially aged for several months to give the crackers a sharp flavour. The crackers are also coloured using natural ingredients, with the red crackers coloured with beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers.

The packaging also provides allergen and nutritional information. The ingredients list highlights that the crackers are free of artificial preservatives or flavours and that the colours are sourced from plants. The flour used is enriched with essential nutrients, including niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and folic acid.

The Goldfish brand has expanded significantly in recent years, introducing limited-time flavours and varieties beyond the traditional cheddar and pretzel options. This includes the introduction of seasonal colour-changing Goldfish crackers and multi-coloured Goldfish, known as Goldfish-American.

Goldfish cracker exports

Goldfish crackers are a brand of fish-shaped crackers with an eye and a smile imprinted on them. They are manufactured by Pepperidge Farm, a division of the Campbell Soup Company. The crackers were originally invented by Oscar J. Kambly at the Swiss biscuit manufacturer Kambly in 1958 to celebrate his wife, who was a Pisces. In 1962, Margaret Rudkin, the founder of Pepperidge Farm, introduced Goldfish crackers to the United States after trying them on vacation in Switzerland. The five initial flavours launched in the US were lightly salted (later designated "original"), cheese, barbecue, pizza, and smoky.

Cheddar cheese, the brand's most popular flavour, was not introduced until 1966. The cheddar flavour is made with real cheddar cheese that is specially aged for several months to give the crackers a distinctive sharp flavour. The crackers are also coloured using a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers.

Goldfish crackers are exported and sold in countries around the world, although the branding and names may differ. In the UK, for example, they are sold under the name "Finz", while in Switzerland, the original Goldfish flavour is marketed under the brand name "Goldfischli". In Australia, Goldfish crackers were sold under Arnott's branding.

The popularity of Goldfish crackers has led to the creation of various flavours and spin-off products, such as Goldfish Sandwich Crackers, Flavor-Blasted Goldfish, Goldfish bread, multi-coloured Goldfish, and Baby Goldfish, which are smaller than the regular ones. The brand has also introduced limited-time flavours and seasonal variations, such as colour-changing Goldfish.

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