Hydrox Is Making War on Oreo (Does Oreo Care, Tho?)

There are a lot of things that might keep you up at night right now. Is the world going to go down in flames? Will I be able to afford retirement one day? Why did my crush not like that Instagram post about my lunch? Well, it’s time to push all of those thoughts and fears aside, because this cookie rival story trumps everything.

When you think of chocolate cookies filled with creme, you probably think of Oreos (or TJ’s Joe-Joe’s if you’re a super fan). But there’s another sandwich cookie, Hydrox, which was actually created a whole four years earlier than the Oreo in 1908. And now that seemingly unknown cookie is on the warpath against their rival.

Hydrox cookies were discontinued in 1999 and were brought back in 2015 by a new company, Leaf Brands. Its new tagline got straight to the point: “The original sandwich cookie is back, don’t eat a knock off!” How subtle.

Well, now Hydrox is claiming that people don’t know about their cookie because Oreo’s parent company, Mondelez, is actually hiding Hydrox cookies in grocery stores so that consumers can’t find them. In a Facebook post, Hydrox showed several examples where their cookies were moved to the top shelf or hidden by signs. Hydrox was so distraught that they filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Hydrox says that Mondelez is able to rearrange the cookie shelves in grocery stores because they use direct store distribution or DSD. “What that means is, they have their own trucks and personally deliver and restock supermarket shelves nationwide a few times a week, versus Hydrox which are restocked by supermarket employees at night and moved from their own warehouses.”

Hydrox is urging fans to call their supermarkets and demand their favorite cookies. “We need your support by calling your local supermarket’s cookie buyer at their corporate offices, (not asking the store manager) and telling them you want Hydrox in their stores.”

While I admit that those photos of the Hydrox cookies in grocery stores are not in prime grocery shopping spots, it would be easy to say that Oreo fans simply moved the cookies around to find their favorite brand. Oreo cookies have a massive cult-like following, so for them to be threatened by a cookie that had been discontinued for over a decade seems… unlikely.

This isn’t the first time that Hydrox has called out Oreo, however. In 2015, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump said he was boycotting Oreo because they were moving part of their production to Mexico. According to Munchies, Hydrox responded by saying they were made in the United States.

Until this is worked out, there’s always Trader Joe’s.