The Fig Newton Now Has Several Fruity Siblings – For A Carefully Researched Reason

It’s possible that only a few snack shoppers paid much attention when an old Nabisco snack – the Fig Newton was introduced in 1891 – suddenly became known simply as the Newton. It was no accident that the company started making Newtons with other fruit fillings years ago. Nabisco dropped the fig part of the name when research revealed that consumers thought of the fig as a “geriatric” fruit. It reminded people of prunes – a little too “laxative-y” -- and did not suggest natural or healthy.