French’s. The name conjures images of bright yellow mustard, crispy fried onions gracing holiday casseroles, and a comforting familiarity that spans generations. But for many home cooks, a nagging question lingers: what happened to French’s seasonings? Beyond the mustard and the crispy onions, French’s offered a surprisingly wide array of spices, herbs, and blends that, over time, seemed to vanish from store shelves. Let’s delve into the history of French’s seasonings, explore the reasons behind their disappearance, and uncover what remains of this once-ubiquitous brand’s spice empire.
A Brief History of French’s
The story of French’s begins long before pre-mixed seasonings became a kitchen staple. In 1904, brothers Robert and George French introduced French’s mustard at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Its mild flavor and convenient packaging quickly gained popularity, establishing French’s as a household name. The company expanded its product line over the years, venturing beyond mustard to include Worcestershire sauce, spices, and other culinary products.
The French’s seasonings line gradually expanded to include a wide range of single spices like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon, as well as carefully crafted blends such as chili seasoning, taco seasoning, and poultry seasoning. For decades, French’s spices were a reliable presence in grocery stores, offering consumers affordable and accessible ways to enhance their cooking.
The Slow Disappearance: Factors Contributing to the Decline
While French’s mustard and crispy fried onions have maintained their market share, the seasoning line faced a different fate. Several factors contributed to the slow, almost imperceptible disappearance of many French’s spices and seasoning blends.
Competition in the Spice Aisle
The spice market is fiercely competitive. French’s faced stiff competition from established spice giants like McCormick, as well as a growing number of smaller, specialty spice companies offering unique blends and premium ingredients. McCormick, with its extensive distribution network and aggressive marketing campaigns, posed a significant challenge to French’s market share. Smaller, niche brands capitalized on the growing consumer interest in organic, fair-trade, and regionally sourced spices, further eroding French’s position.
Brand Focus and Prioritization
At some point, the company likely shifted its strategic focus towards its more successful and recognizable products – mustard and crispy fried onions. These items held a strong market position and generated consistent revenue. Maintaining a diverse seasoning line requires significant investment in sourcing, packaging, marketing, and distribution. With limited resources, it is plausible that French’s prioritized its core products, allowing the seasoning line to gradually decline.
Changes in Consumer Preferences
Consumer tastes are constantly evolving. Over the years, there has been a growing demand for more complex and adventurous flavor profiles. Home cooks are increasingly experimenting with global cuisines and seeking out unique spice blends that reflect these trends. French’s, with its more traditional and familiar flavor profiles, may have struggled to keep pace with these evolving consumer preferences. The rise of celebrity chefs and cooking shows also played a role, inspiring home cooks to explore new ingredients and techniques.
Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring
The French’s brand has changed hands several times throughout its history. These acquisitions and corporate restructurings can often lead to changes in product portfolios, marketing strategies, and overall business priorities. For example, in 1987, Reckitt & Colman acquired French’s. Then, in 2017, McCormick acquired Reckitt Benckiser’s Food Division, which included French’s. These transitions can sometimes result in the discontinuation of certain product lines as companies streamline operations and focus on core brands. When McCormick acquired French’s, there was significant overlap in their spice offerings. It’s plausible that McCormick chose to focus on its own established spice lines, gradually phasing out some of the less popular French’s seasonings.
The Rise of Private Label Brands
Grocery stores have increasingly invested in their own private label or store brand spices. These private label spices often offer comparable quality at a lower price point, attracting budget-conscious consumers. The proliferation of private label spices further intensified competition in the spice aisle, making it more challenging for brands like French’s to maintain market share.
What Happened to Specific French’s Seasonings?
While a comprehensive list of every French’s seasoning ever produced is difficult to compile, several popular items have disappeared from store shelves in recent years. These include:
- French’s Chili Seasoning: Once a staple for homemade chili, this blend provided a consistent and familiar flavor. Its disappearance left many chili enthusiasts searching for alternatives.
- French’s Taco Seasoning: Similar to the chili seasoning, the taco seasoning offered a convenient and reliable way to flavor ground beef or chicken for tacos.
- French’s Poultry Seasoning: A classic blend of herbs and spices designed to enhance the flavor of poultry dishes.
- French’s Meat Loaf Seasoning: This specific blend aimed to simplify the process of seasoning meatloaf, offering a pre-mixed combination of flavors.
The discontinuation of these specific seasonings highlights the broader trend of French’s scaling back its spice offerings. While some single spices like garlic powder and onion powder may still be available, the range of blends has significantly diminished.
French’s Today: What Remains of the Spice Line?
While the once-extensive French’s seasoning line has been significantly reduced, some products still remain. French’s continues to offer a selection of single-ingredient spices, such as:
- Garlic Powder: A versatile spice used in a wide range of dishes.
- Onion Powder: Another essential spice, adding savory flavor to soups, stews, and meat dishes.
- Paprika: A mild and colorful spice used to add flavor and visual appeal to various dishes.
- Cinnamon: A warm and aromatic spice commonly used in baked goods and desserts.
It’s important to note that the availability of these spices may vary depending on the region and the retailer. While French’s mustard and crispy fried onions remain highly visible on store shelves, the spice section offers a much smaller selection than in the past.
Finding Alternatives to Discontinued French’s Seasonings
For those seeking to replicate the flavors of discontinued French’s seasonings, there are several options:
Creating Your Own Spice Blends
One approach is to create your own spice blends using individual spices. Experiment with different combinations of chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to recreate the flavor of French’s Chili Seasoning. Similarly, you can create your own taco seasoning blend using chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This allows for greater control over the ingredients and flavor profile.
Exploring Other Brands
Many other spice brands offer similar seasoning blends. Explore the spice aisle at your local grocery store and compare the ingredients and flavor profiles of different chili seasonings, taco seasonings, and poultry seasonings. Read reviews and experiment with different brands to find one that suits your taste.
Seeking Online Recipes
The internet is a treasure trove of recipes for homemade spice blends. Search online for recipes that replicate the flavors of discontinued French’s seasonings. Many food bloggers and recipe websites offer detailed instructions and ingredient lists for creating your own custom blends.
The Future of French’s Seasonings
The future of French’s seasonings remains uncertain. Given McCormick’s ownership and its existing spice portfolio, it seems unlikely that French’s will significantly expand its seasoning line in the near future. However, the brand could potentially introduce new and innovative spice blends to cater to changing consumer preferences. A resurgence in popularity is not impossible, particularly if French’s can leverage its brand recognition and focus on quality ingredients.
Ultimately, the fate of French’s seasonings will depend on McCormick’s strategic priorities and the evolving demands of the spice market. Whether the brand continues to offer a limited selection of single spices or embarks on a renewed expansion of its seasoning line, French’s will undoubtedly remain a familiar name in kitchens across America. Its legacy as a trusted and reliable brand, built on the foundation of its iconic mustard and crispy fried onions, will continue to resonate with consumers for years to come.
Why are some French’s seasonings no longer available in stores?
The unavailability of certain French’s seasonings stems from a variety of factors, including fluctuating consumer demand, supply chain disruptions, and strategic business decisions by McCormick & Company, the parent company of French’s. Products that experience lower sales volumes may be discontinued to streamline production and focus on more popular items. Furthermore, ingredient sourcing challenges or manufacturing constraints can also lead to temporary or permanent removal from shelves.
Another contributing element is the rationalization of product lines. Companies like McCormick frequently review their portfolio to eliminate redundancies and optimize shelf space for products with higher profitability or growth potential. This often results in the culling of niche seasonings or blends that, while appreciated by some consumers, do not meet the required sales thresholds for continued production and distribution. This is a common practice within the food industry.
Which French’s seasonings have been discontinued or are difficult to find?
Several French’s seasonings have been reported as discontinued or increasingly difficult to find. Examples include specific varieties of their chili seasoning mix, certain spice blends like the Dijon Mustard Seasoning, and some of the smaller, single-serve packets of seasonings used for specific dishes. The availability also varies greatly based on geographic location, with some regions carrying products that are absent in others.
Online forums and social media groups dedicated to cooking and food enthusiasts often discuss the disappearing act of their favorite French’s seasonings. While the company rarely issues comprehensive lists of discontinued items, consumers often rely on anecdotal evidence and confirmations from retailers to determine which products are no longer being stocked. Checking the French’s website and contacting customer service can sometimes provide further clarity.
Is there any chance of discontinued French’s seasonings being revived?
The possibility of a discontinued French’s seasoning being revived depends on several factors. Consumer demand plays a crucial role; if enough people express interest and demonstrate a willingness to purchase a discontinued product, it increases the likelihood of its return. Social media campaigns, petitions, and direct communication with McCormick can influence the company’s decision-making process.
Market trends and the overall profitability outlook also factor into the equation. If a discontinued seasoning aligns with current culinary trends or if the company believes it can be reformulated or remarketed to achieve sufficient sales, a revival becomes more plausible. Sometimes, a product might return as a limited-time offering or a regional exclusive to gauge consumer response before a full-scale relaunch.
Where can I find French’s seasonings that are hard to locate in stores?
Finding French’s seasonings that are difficult to locate in physical stores often requires exploring alternative avenues. Online retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart.com, and specialty spice websites, are excellent resources. These platforms frequently stock a wider range of products than brick-and-mortar stores, including those that may be discontinued or regionally limited.
Another strategy involves checking smaller grocery stores, ethnic markets, and discount retailers. These establishments sometimes carry discontinued or hard-to-find items that larger chains no longer stock. Additionally, contacting French’s customer service or using online store locators can help identify retailers in your area that may carry the specific seasoning you are seeking. Don’t overlook auction sites like eBay, where individuals sometimes sell rare or discontinued food items.
What are the best alternatives to discontinued French’s seasonings?
When a favorite French’s seasoning becomes unavailable, seeking suitable alternatives is key. Many spice companies offer similar blends or individual spices that can replicate the flavor profile. Researching the ingredient list of the discontinued seasoning can help identify the primary components and guide your search for comparable products or allow you to recreate the blend yourself.
Experimenting with homemade spice blends is another viable option. By combining individual spices such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and other herbs and spices, you can customize a seasoning mix that closely mimics the taste of the discontinued French’s product. Online recipe resources and cooking communities can provide guidance and inspiration for creating your own signature spice blends.
How does McCormick decide which French’s seasonings to discontinue?
McCormick & Company employs a data-driven approach to determine which French’s seasonings to discontinue. They analyze sales figures, market trends, and consumer feedback to identify products that are underperforming or no longer aligned with their strategic objectives. This includes evaluating profitability, growth potential, and overall contribution to the company’s bottom line.
Further considerations include ingredient sourcing challenges, production costs, and the impact on shelf space efficiency. Products with high manufacturing costs or limited ingredient availability may be considered for discontinuation. McCormick also assesses the potential impact on brand reputation and consumer loyalty before making a final decision, balancing the need for efficiency with the desire to maintain customer satisfaction.
Can I contact French’s to request a specific seasoning be brought back?
Yes, contacting French’s (and by extension, McCormick) is a valid strategy for expressing your desire for a discontinued seasoning to be brought back. Direct communication with the company demonstrates consumer interest and provides valuable feedback on their product decisions. The more consumers who voice their opinions, the greater the potential impact.
You can contact French’s customer service through their website, social media channels, or by phone. Clearly and politely express your interest in the specific seasoning and explain why you would like to see it reintroduced. While there is no guarantee of a return, your feedback can contribute to the company’s understanding of consumer demand and influence future product decisions. Consider joining or initiating online campaigns to amplify your voice and gather support from other like-minded consumers.