Aussies heartbroken after popular Arnott's biscuit quietly disappears from shelves: 'Discontinued'
A beloved Aussie biscuit has been discontinued – but many shoppers have only just realised it was gone.
Biscuit lovers recently noted that they were no longer able to purchase Arnott's Full O' Fruit packets in supermarkets.
FEMAIL reached out to the Arnott's team, who confirmed that the sultana-loaded biscuit had been pulled from shelves.
Arnott's Treating Business Director, Ranita Cowled confirmed that Full O' Fruit was officially discontinued in 2021.
'For 160 years, Arnott's has proudly baked some of Australia's most iconic biscuits and crackers. While Arnott's Full O' Fruit was retired from production in 2021 we continue to offer a range of delicious fruity options,' said Ranita.
The wholesome treat, which contained more than 50 per cent real fruit, was described as 'a lightly baked biscuit bursting with succulent sultanas and a delicate hint of citrus peel'.
Ranita suggested that Full O' Fruit fans instead try some of the brand's other 'fruity' offerings.
'These include our iconic Arnott's Raspberry Shortcake, made with a jammy raspberry-flavoured filling, and the Arnott's Spicy Fruit Roll, made with sultanas, currants, raisins and zesty lemon peel – both perfect for those who love a touch of fruit in their biscuit tin.'
Similar to a Garibaldi biscuit, the now discontinued Arnott's Full O' Fruit was described as 'a lightly baked biscuit bursting with succulent sultanas and a delicate hint of citrus peel'
A recent Australian Reddit thread saw a poster complaining of suddenly not being able to 'find them anywhere'.
'Full O Fruit! Sadly discontinued now,' confirmed one responder.
Another comment referred to the defunct treat by its humorous nickname: 'squashed fly bikkies'.
Others noted in the comments that Full O' Fruit was essentially a 'Garibaldi biscuit', which consists of currants squashed and sandwiched between two thin baked biscuit oblongs.
Garibaldi biscuits are hugely popular in Britain and manufactured by several UK brands, including Crawfords, Morrisons and Tesco.
Besides 'squashed fly biscuits', Garibaldi biscuits are also colloquially referred to by other nicknames, including 'fly sandwiches', 'flies' graveyards', 'dead fly biscuits' and 'fly traps'.
The confirmation of the discontinuation of Arnott's Full O' Fruit comes following recent mystery surrounding the fate of Arnott's Chocolate Wheatens.
Debate recently erupted online amongst Aussie biscuit lovers after some claimed the currently on-shelf Arnott's Milk Chocolate Digestives were a 're-brand' of the discontinued Chocolate Wheatens.
But investigations by our lifestyle team proved this theory incorrect.
The biscuit mystery was sparked by a recent post shared on the 'Memory Lane - Growing up in Australia' Facebook page, after one member shared a nostalgic tribute post expressing their fondness for the now defunct Arnott's Chocolate Wheaten.
The innocent post lit up with comments from biscuit lovers – many of whom responded with surprise about the popular item no longer being available on shelves.
But among the responses were also many comments insisting that Arnott's Chocolate Wheaten Biscuits were indeed still available in shops.
'Now they're called Digestives,' asserted one response.
This claim that Milk Chocolate Digestives are a re-branded version of Arnott's Chocolate Wheaten makes logical sense given their visual similarities.
Both products feature a plain wheat biscuit with hole details, while the back of the biscuit is dipped into milk chocolate featuring a distinctive ripple line pattern.
FEMAIL approached an Arnott's spokesperson to seek clarity around whether Arnott's Milk Chocolate Digestives were indeed a re-branded replica of the original Arnott's Chocolate Wheaten Biscuits.
Arnott's Chocolate Portfolio Senior Marketing Manager Rebecca Chan set the record straight – confirming that although the biscuits are 'similar', they are not in fact the same.
'While Arnott's Chocolate Wheaten biscuits were discontinued in 2017, we know they still hold a special place in the hearts of many Aussies,' Rebecca said.
'For those craving a similar satisfying crunch with a hint of chocolate, our Arnott's Digestive range available at Independent retailers is a great alternative.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Budget airline to close after 20 years
Budget airline Jetstar Asia is set to close this summer after over 20 years of operations. The Qantas Group announced a 'strategic restructure' today (11 June), including the closure of the Singapore-based low-cost airline. Jetstar Asia will reduce its flight schedule across the next seven weeks before operations cease on 31 July. The airline, founded in 2003, was expected to make a AU$35 million loss this financial year. According to the group, the closure of the intra-Asia airline will enable the Qantas Group to invest $500 million in renewing its aircraft fleet. Up to 13 Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 aircraft will also be redeployed for routes across Australia and New Zealand. The closure will impact 16 routes across Asia, including flights connecting Singapore with destinations in Malaysia and the Philippines. Affected customers will be offered full refunds or re-accommodated onto alternative airlines, said the group. Jetstar Airways and Jetstar Japan services in Asia and all of Jetstar Airways international services in and out of Australia will be unaffected by the closure. The Qantas Group blamed rising supplier costs, high airport fees and 'intensified competition in the region: for the closure of the low-cost airline. Employees will be provided with redundancy benefits following the announcement. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said: 'Jetstar Asia has been a pioneering force in the Asian aviation market for more than 20 years, making air travel accessible to millions of customers across Southeast Asia.' 'We are incredibly proud of the Jetstar Asia team and the work they have done to deliver low fares, strong operational performance and exceptional customer service. This is a very tough day for them. Despite their best efforts, we have seen some of Jetstar Asia's supplier costs increase by up to 200 per cent, which has materially changed its cost base.' 'I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge our incredible Jetstar Asia team, who should be very proud of the impact they have had on aviation in the region over the past two decades.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Services Australia: Millions of Aussies on social services payments set for cash boost
Millions of Aussies receiving social services payments are set to pocket more money. From July 1, Services Australia payments will be indexed (adjusted in line with inflation) by 2.4 per cent. Paid Parental Leave, Family Tax Benefit A and B, the Newborn Supplement, and Multiple Birth Allowance will all receive a modest increase, affecting about 2.4million Australians. For example, a family receiving Family Tax Benefit A will pocket an extra $5 a fortnight. Parents with triplets will receive an extra $120 a year, while first-time parents of a newborn child will pocket an additional $48 over 13 weeks. Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek described indexation as a 'crucial way to help families when cost of living rises'. 'Millions of recipients of social security payments will see more money in their bank account,' Plibersek said. However, asset limits and income thresholds will also increase by 2.4 per cent. That means some Aussies will become ineligible for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parenting Payment, Special Benefit and Parenting Payment Single. The July indexation will not impact youth and student payments, which are indexed each year in January.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grim warning that Australia is being 'hijacked' by union bosses - as a national strike now looms that will bring the country to a grinding halt
Australians are being warned unions will use crippling national strikes next year to hijack supply chains which could stoke inflation under Labor's new workplace laws. Anthony Albanese 's Secure Jobs Better Pay Act, introduced in 2022 during Labor's first term, has revived multi-employer bargaining, handing power back to unions. It allows wage rises in one workplace to be replicated across an industry without the need for separate enterprise negotiations. But unions are already warning of potential coordinated strike action at 200 firms including airlines, supermarkets and haulage companies to leverage big pay deals. Analysts fear it could result in inflation-busting wage rises, which could result in soaring costs for consumers if productivity fails to keep pace with the increases. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is now planning to host a Productivity Summit at Parliament House in Canberra later this year in a bid to avoid an economic output crisis. But new Opposition workplace relations spokesman Tim Wilson has warned union chiefs will use multi-employer bargaining to bring industrial chaos to Australia. 'The Transport Workers Union will use multi-employer bargaining to hijack supply chains, squeeze businesses and pass on higher costs to customers,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'So long as Albanese's multi-employer bargaining remains in place, Australian customers will continue to pay more so unions can leverage their power.' Wilson last month narrowly won back the Melbourne bayside electorate of Goldstein from former Teal MP Zoe Daniel and was parachuted back onto the Opposition frontbench by Coalition leader, Sussan Ley. But he warned Labor's landslide re-election will now embolden unions to cripple Australia economically for the next three years. 'The only solution to stop unions pushing up costs on Australians is to find a better balance at the election,' he said. 'But now the Albanese government has been re-elected, Australians should expect more industrial action and higher costs until we see a change of government.' TWU national secretary Michael Kaine last month predicted that 200 enterprise agreements expiring in 2026 will be an opportunity to launch widespread strikes. 'Make no mistake – this will be the largest co-ordinated industrial campaign in Australian transport history,' Kaine told the TWU's national conference in Brisbane in May. 'This alignment of agreements isn't accidental. It's been carefully orchestrated to maximise our collective bargaining power.' Workers are allowed to strike without fear of being sacked during enterprise bargaining negotiations, under provisions of the Fair Work Act of 2009 introduced by a Labor government. Enterprise agreements expire next year at airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia, logistics companies Linfox and Toll, Amazon, supermarket chain Aldi, construction materials company Boral, waste disposal chain Cleanaway and airport ground handling firm Swissport. Kaine, whose union is affiliated with the Labor Party, had vowed to shut down Australia's transport sector. 'We are prepared to shut down Australian transport,' he said. 'There will be disruption. It will be significant. It will be coordinated. And it will be effective.' Albanese tried to sound conciliatory on Tuesday, emphasising that unions only thrived when private-sector employers were successful. 'Well, we're a Labor government, we support unions existing and some of the commentators prefer that unions didn't exist,' he told the National Press Club on Tuesday. 'That's the truth. But we will always respect both the role of business and the role of unions. 'And one of the things that I say is that there are common interests that – I say this to unions as well: you don't get union members unless you've got successful employers. It's the private sector that drives an economy.' Output at Australian workplaces is going backwards with productivity plunging by one per cent in the year to March. Gross domestic product per capita shrunk in the March quarter, threatening to revive a per capita recession that had persisted from early 2023 until the September quarter of 2024.
