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This is less about nostalgia and more about economics: Jersey Milk had become a low-volume product that consumed relatively high production resources. In short, it no longer made financial sense.

What’s troubling, though, is the lack of transparency. It took weeks of speculation and online chatter for the company to finally acknowledge the product’s discontinuation. Companies rarely announce product retirements voluntarily, especially when it involves a legacy brand like Jersey Milk — an iconic Canadian chocolate bar first introduced by William Neilson Ltd. in 1924, beloved by generations for its simple, creamy profile and its essential role in summer s’mores.

From an economic perspective, the decision is understandable. Input costs, particularly cocoa, have surged dramatically. Cocoa prices have hovered between US$7,500 and US$9,000 per metric ton — three to four times the historical average. Since December 2023, the market has remained above $4,000 per metric ton, putting immense pressure on manufacturers like Mondelez, who have had to renegotiate contracts amid volatile commodity markets.

Some may dismiss this as the loss of “just a chocolate bar.” But confectionery, like other discretionary food items, acts as a bellwether for consumer confidence and purchasing power. You don’t need chocolate to survive, but its availability and variety reflect economic health.

When manufacturers start pulling brands from shelves — especially those made domestically, as opposed to imported products like the recently discontinued Cherry Blossom — it raises larger questions about our domestic economy.

Canada’s economy is facing a paradox: Our population is growing, yet our productivity and real income levels are not. As a result, food processors and retailers are under pressure to streamline offerings and focus only on what sells best. The disappearance of familiar products from grocery aisles is symptomatic of a broader issue — slowing investment, economic stagnation and increased homogeneity on retail shelves.

And fewer choices don’t just reflect a lack of innovation — they have real consequences. Less variety means less competition, which often leads to higher prices. When iconic products quietly vanish, market power becomes more concentrated in fewer hands, giving large players greater pricing latitude.

In the long run, consumers pay more not just financially, but in lost culinary diversity.

In a more prosperous context, another brand might emerge to fill Jersey Milk’s place. But in today’s Canada — where consumers are stretching every dollar just to get by — product innovation becomes riskier, and companies are less inclined to take chances.

Jersey Milk’s quiet exit is more than a nostalgic loss. It is a subtle economic signal. When variety disappears, it’s often because choice has become a luxury. Chocolate isn’t essential for survival — but in times like these, small comforts matter more than ever.