What's Old is New Again

About a year ago, I wrote about the retro trend. From old school cereal packages to beverages returning to classic recipes, when it comes to foods in the supermarket, everything that was old is new again. We're seeing another resurgence of retro this year. Here are just a few of the announcements from food manufacturers in the past couple of weeks.

Be on the lookout for old-school cool from Hostess. The snack cake maker will be offering a variety of sweet treats encased in nostalgic packaging for a limited time, including Chocolate Cup Cakes, Ding Dongs, and Ho Hos. In addition, the company is temporarily bringing back the original banana-filled Twinkie recipe in boxes starring Twinkie the Kid.

Hostess isn't the only company turning back the clock. After last year's huge response to the throwback versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, PepsiCo announced the drinks would be a permanent addition to its portfolio.

Frito-Lay, another PepsiCo-owned brand, is also getting in on the act, offering classic taco-flavored Doritos in retro packaging.

After rumors that Cap'n Horatio Magellan Crunch (better known as Cap'n Crunch) was sailing into retirement, cereal maker Quaker Oats, yet another PepsiCo-owned brand, denied the report. Not only is the Captain here to stay, but he's also back with a new line of flashback 60's packaging, complete with collector cards on the back of every box. Find Peanut Butter, Crunch Berries, and Original Cap'n Crunch flavors at a grocery store near you.

Finally, expect to see Heinz Ketchup bottles of yesteryear lining store shelves this summer. The 14-ounce octagonal glass bottles are making a comeback after being replaced by squeezable plastic containers in the 1990s.

What vintage packaging have you recently found in stores?