22-05-2025
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.'
