Memories of a Discontinued Childhood Favorite: Franco-American MacaroniOs
My favorite treat as a four-year-old was an oldie but goodie—Franco-American MacaroniOs
Ask any Gen-Xer born between 1965 and 1972 about foods we remember from our earliest childhood years, and almost all will include Franco-American SpaghettiOs and Franco-American Macaroni and Cheese in their list. There’s even a Facebook group of die-hard Franco-American Macaroni and Cheese fans that petitioned Campbell Soup to bring back their favorite.
Franco-American canned foods was started by a French immigrant, Alphonse Biardot, and his sons in 1886 in Jersey City, NJ. The company became wildly successful, especially with its canned soups and pasta line. Campbell Soup bought the company and the brand in 1915 and continued selling the Franco-American line of foods under the Franco-American brand.
Franco-American MacaroniOs made their debut in 1967, then disappeared five years later.
I normally don’t write about food, or nostalgia. I normally write about poverty issues and the lack of support for the poor (especially poor…
