Space Food Sticks were a popular, rod-shaped, nutritionally balanced energy snack by Pillsbury, marketed as astronaut food with flavors like chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter, but were discontinued in the U.S. in the 1980s due to waning interest, despite brief revivals and long production in Australia until 2014. They were essentially dense, chewy energy bars with glucose and corn syrup, described as tasting similar to Tootsie Rolls, serving as an early energy bar precursor.

Key Characteristics:

Description: A non-frozen, balanced energy snack in a convenient rod form, containing carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Texture & Flavor: Chewy, dense, and cake-like, often compared to Tootsie Rolls, available in flavors like chocolate, caramel, mint, orange, and peanut butter.

Origin: Developed by Pillsbury for NASA in the 1960s, capitalizing on the space race, and used by Apollo astronauts.

Marketing: Promoted as a healthy, convenient snack with instant energy, linking it to space exploration.

Discontinuation:

U.S.: The product lost its glamour and was discontinued in the U.S. in the early 1980s, with Pillsbury even changing the name to "Food Sticks" before its end.

Australia: Production continued in Australia until 2014, with a brief comeback in 2019 for the moon landing's 50th anniversary.