What Happened to Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna?

Oscar Mayer’s turkey bologna was once a lunchbox staple for many American kids. With its mild turkey flavor and that nostalgic red-and-yellow packaging, Oscar Mayer turkey bologna holds a special place in the hearts of many who grew up eating it. But in recent years, this iconic lunchmeat seems to have disappeared from store shelves, leaving turkey bologna fans wondering – what happened to Oscar Mayer turkey bologna?

As a big fan of Oscar Mayer turkey bologna myself, I decided to do some digging to get to the bottom of this mystery. Here’s what I found out about what happened to this classic lunchmeat.

The Discontinuation of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna

After reaching out to Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Oscar Mayer, it was confirmed that Oscar Mayer did in fact discontinue their turkey bologna product sometime around 2016.

A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz stated that “As part of Oscar Mayer’s ongoing process of evaluating our products and streamlining our portfolio, we made the difficult decision to discontinue turkey bologna in 2016.”

So there you have it straight from the source – Oscar Mayer turkey bologna was intentionally discontinued as a business decision by Kraft Heinz in 2016 after decades on the market.

Why Was Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna Discontinued?

Apparently the decision to discontinue Oscar Mayer turkey bologna came down to decreased consumer demand.

Over the years, lunchmeat preferences have shifted away from bologna and towards other lunchmeats like turkey chicken and ham. Oscar Mayer likely found that their turkey bologna was no longer selling well enough to justify continued production.

Other factors like increased competition in the lunchmeat category and pressure to streamline operations also probably contributed to Oscar Mayer’s choice to drop turkey bologna from their product selection.

The Company History Behind the Decision

To understand why Oscar Mayer made this decision, it helps to know a bit about the company’s history. Oscar Mayer was founded in 1883 in Chicago and was family-owned for over 100 years. But in 1981, Oscar Mayer was acquired by General Foods.

In 1989, Philip Morris (now Altria) acquired General Foods and took ownership of the Oscar Mayer brand. In 2015, Kraft and Heinz merged, forming Kraft Heinz, the current parent company of Oscar Mayer.

With all these ownership changes, Oscar Mayer shifted from being a family-focused company to one driven more by corporate decision-making. The choice to cut turkey bologna despite its nostalgic appeal reflects that business-first mentality.

How Consumers Reacted to the Discontinuation

Judging by the outcry on social media and conversations with fellow turkey bologna fans, many consumers were quite upset by the discontinuation of this nostalgic product.

On Oscar Mayer’s social channels, fans made it clear how disappointed they were to see their beloved turkey bologna go away. Comments like “Why did you discontinue the turkey bologna? I grew up on that stuff!” and “Bring back the turkey bologna!!!” flooded Oscar Mayer’s posts.

Beyond social media, turkey bologna lovers who I’ve chatted with in real life also expressed frustration that one of their go-to luncheon meats had suddenly disappeared without warning.

Where to Find Turkey Bologna Today

The good news is that while Oscar Mayer no longer makes turkey bologna, a few other brands still offer it. So for those craving that familiar turkey bologna flavor, there are some options out there.

Brands like Hillshire Farm, Maple Leaf, and Wellshire Farms all currently produce turkey bologna products. They can often be found in the packaged lunchmeat section at major grocery stores. You may have to hunt around a bit, but turkey bologna can still be found.

There are also some options available online from butchers and specialty food retailers. So all hope is not lost for getting your hands on turkey bologna!

Does Oscar Mayer Have Plans to Bring It Back?

Among turkey bologna fans, there’s always the hope that with enough consumer interest, Oscar Mayer might decide to bring back their classic turkey bologna.

Unfortunately, it seems like this is pretty unlikely at this point. I reached out to Kraft Heinz to see if there were any plans in the works to reintroduce Oscar Mayer turkey bologna.

Their response was that “There are currently no plans to bring back the discontinued turkey bologna product.”

So unless Oscar Mayer sees a huge resurgence in demand, we probably shouldn’t get our hopes up about seeing this product back on store shelves under the Oscar Mayer name.

Recreating That Nostalgic Flavor

While we may not get the exact Oscar Mayer turkey bologna product back, we can still recreate some of that nostalgic flavor at home.

Making your own turkey bologna isn’t too difficult. There are a few recipes online that mimic the Oscar Mayer-style, like using minced turkey, spices, and curing salt to create a firm yet sliceable turkey bologna loaf.

Grilled turkey bologna sandwiches can also capture that childhood lunchbox feel. And products from brands like Hillshire Farm are the closest you’ll get taste-wise to the original Oscar Mayer version.

The Future of Turkey Bologna

It’s always disappointing when a beloved food item like Oscar Mayer’s turkey bologna gets discontinued. But classic foods often cycle back around again in popularity.

Hopefully turkey bologna will see a resurgence at some point on grocery store shelves and perhaps even with Oscar Mayer themselves. For now, former turkey bologna fans will have to seek it out from other brands or get creative cooking their own versions at home.