Goldfish (cracker)

Goldfish
Cheddar Goldfish crackers
Product typeCracker
OwnerPepperidge Farm
CountrySwitzerland
Introduced1962; 64 years ago (1962)
MarketsWorldwide, except for Armenia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria
Previous ownersKambly
Tagline"The snack that smiles back"
Websitewww.goldfishcrackers.com

Goldfish is a brand of fish-shaped crackers with a small eye and smile made by Pepperidge Farm, which is a part of The Campbell's Company.

History

Oscar J. Kambly originally made goldfish crackers at Swiss biscuit company Kambly in 1958 to celebrate his wife. The idea came from Pisces, a zodiac sign shaped like a fish. Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin introduced Goldfish crackers to the United States in 1962 after trying them on vacation in Switzerland.

The first five flavors of Goldfish crackers that came into the US were lightly salted (later called "original"), cheese, barbecue, pizza, and smoky. Cheddar cheese, the brand's most popular flavor, was not introduced until 1966. In 1997, the smiley face was added to Goldfish, appearing on about 40% of the crackers.

2000s

Pepperidge Farm has expanded the Goldfish brand a lot in recent years, introducing many limited-time flavors and varieties that are not in the regular lineup. These included Mega Bites (larger Goldfish crackers), Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Grahams, and Frank's RedHot. Due to its popularity, the Frank's RedHot flavor was added to the main lineup. The company has also tested potato-based Goldfish chips to achieve a potato chip-like flavor.

Flavors

Goldfish crackers are available in many varieties:

  • Original, also known as Saltine
  • Cheddar
  • Whole Grain Cheddar and Colors
  • Parmesan
  • Pretzel
  • Pizza
  • Grahams (Vanilla Cupcake and S'mores)
  • Flavor Blasted (Xtra Cheddar, Cheddar & Sour Cream (discontinued), Salt and Vinegar (discontinued), Cheddar Jack'd, Sour Cream & Onion (discontinued), Sharp White Cheddar (discontinued), Xtra Cheesy Pizza)
  • Mix
  • Frank's RedHot
  • "Awesome Sauce" (2025 limited edition variety)
  • Old Bay Seasoned (limited time offering)
  • Jalapeño Popper
  • Spicy Dill Pickle (limited time)

Other

These are differently shaped or sized Goldfish variants:

  • Baby Goldfish (these are smaller than the original Goldfish, but they have the same flavor).
  • Colors (same shape and flavor as the cheddar variety but with different colors that come from natural sources. The current colors are yellow, orange, red, and green)
  • Crisps (currently available in Spicy Dill Pickle, Salt and Vinegar, Barbecue, Sour Cream and Onion, and Cheddar flavors).
  • Princess (colored pink, same flavor as the original cheddar variety).
  • Mickey Mouse (red crackers in the shape of Mickey's head and ears)
  • Mega Bites (they are larger in size than the original. They currently come in both Sharp Cheddar and Cheddar Jalapeño varieties).
  • Star Wars Goldfish (shaped differently, same as the cheddar variety).

Discontinued

  • PhysEdibles – prepared using whole-grains
  • Puffs – launched in the United States in 2013
  • Giant Sandwich Crackers
  • Giant Goldfish
  • Sandwich Snackers
  • Garden Cheddar
  • Mac & Cheese
  • Cars 3 (red crackers in the shape of Lightning McQueen)
  • Flavor Blasted Grahams
  • Cinabuddy Snack Bites
  • Cookies and Cream

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Borsari, Karen. "Fun Facts About Goldfish Crackers: Pepperidge Farm Turns 75". Shape. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Goldfish - the Original". Kambly SA. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  3. ↑ Sauer, Patrick J. (19 December 2018). "How Goldfish crackers took over the world". Fast Company. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Our History". Pepperidge Farm. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011. America gets its first taste of Goldfish crackers in 1962. Margaret Rudkin discovers the snack cracker on a trip to Switzerland and returns with the recipe.
  5. 1 2 Dan Myers. "Things you didn't know about Goldfish crackers". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Pepperidge Farm (Media Release) (10 January 2005). "Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Character Brought to Life in New Advertising Campaign; Television Spots Are First Chapter in Brand Update" (Press release). Business Wire. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Maida, Stephanie (2023-12-09). "Goldfish Wants To Reel In Fans With Potato Chips". Tasting Table. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  8. ↑ "Goldfish Original Baked Snack Crackers". Pepperidge Farm. January 1, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "5 Things You Didn't Know About Goldfish Crackers". The Daily Meal. April 24, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Jalapeno Popper Crackers". Pepperidge Farm. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "Spicy Dill Pickle Crackers". Pepperidge Farm. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish Puffs launched in US." Progressive Media : 2. LexisNexus - Archives. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.