Whatever happened to triple-layer jello? Is there anywhere in the
world I can still obtain it? Preferably online?

---

Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 28 Nov 2002 23:28 PST

By "triple-layer jello," do you mean the particular variety of Jell-O
that separated into three layers of different textures as it set?

Greetings, thanatos-ga!

You've sure brought back some memories for me with this question. In
my search for the answer I found that many people seem to remember
"Jell-O 1-2-3" very fondly, and there is even a petition to have it
brought back (it has 218 signatures so far!):

http://www.petitiononline.com/jello123/petition.html

Jell-O 1-2-3 was made by Kraft Foods, Inc. in the 80's.

Owing to this dessert's popularity, there are many websites which
offer recipes to make your own version of Jell-O 1-2-3. Here are just
a couple of them:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/UEGGGhhGGhhGfGGhEshsiAssdAssAsyhTsssEsEswsGhdAssfsssqsAA/

http://inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/bbs15/webBBS_15957.shtml

http://recipecircus.com/recipes/DollyJ/DESSERTS/Jello_1_2_3.html

There is a site which has a photo of the Jello- 1-2-3 box and bemoans
the loss of this tasty treat (you are not alone in wanting to see it
on store shelves again!):

http://www.yarayara.com/myop/op3.html


I went to the Kraft Foods website and put in a request with their
Customer Service Department:

http://www.kraftapps.com/contact_us/contact_us_form.asp?referrer=KRAFTFOODS

I also tried calling their 800 number (1-800-323-0768) but as it is
the day after Thanksgiving, the Kraft employees are "enjoying the
Holiday with their families" according to the recording.

There is a person called the "Jell-O-phile" who has a really fun
website with lots of information about Jell-O. ONe of their FAQ's was
about Jell-O 1-2-3 and according to her answer, the product was still
being made in 1996:

"Is Jell-O 1-2-3 still available? 
Jell-O 1-2-3 was still in current production as of January 1996,
albeit not appearing on every supermarket shelf. You could try calling
Kraft General Foods at the number on the box (1-800-431-1001) to find
out a market in your area that carries this product.
Marilyn J. ("Jell-O") Felling, jellolady@aol.com, January 1996"

She also offers a recipe to try:

"How do you prepare Jell-O 1-2-3? 
After adding the boiling water, the mixture was blended for 30
seconds, then blended at high speed for 1 minute, then add a cup of
ice water and blend on high for 1 more minute. You fill each glass
HALF FULL, then refill the glasses completely in the same order. It
"automatically" separates into 3 layers upon chilling. Basically they
call this gelatin with 2 toppings (on the box). Molding this product
is NOT recommended."

http://www.boston-baden.com/hazel/Jello/jello5b.html#123

There is a book about Jell-O called "Jell-O: A Biography" by a woman
named Carolyn Wyman which mentions this product:

"She also includes a recipe to replace the once popular self layering
Jell-O 1-2-3 which was introduced in 1969. It was removed from
production in 1996. It is one of the most frequently asked questions
at the Jell-O Gallery: 'Will they ever make Jell-O 1-2-3-again?'"

http://www.leroyny.com/News/2001/1119/Historical.html

In my Jell-O travels I found the online resume of a doctor who did
marketing research for Jell-O 1-2-3 from 1969-1970; you may want to
contact him about whether marketing had anything to do with this
dessert's demise:

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jfreide/

For a scientific aside I did find this tidbit:

"One of the major uses 
of colloidal solutions that I remember was the application of
non-stick
surfaces onto metals - teflon pans. However I beleive they use a
plasma
technology now. Controlled precipitation can be used to apply
extremely
smooth coatings. 
The most visible use of colloids by the public was a product that I 
believe is no longer available in the US---Jell-O 1,2,3. Remember the
stuff that separated into three layers."

http://www.potters.org/subject11118.htm

Wow!


This site, whose content was written in 2001, attests to the fact that
Jell-O 1-2-3 made a comback around that time. It seems to say the
product did not continue, though:

http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/loyaltubist/Stuff.html

Of course Jell-O does have its own site, too:

http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/index.jhtml

There's also a Jell-O Museum:

http://www.jellomuseum.com/

The Official Jell-O site has a store and they don't offer the mix for
Jell-O 1-2-3 but they do list a number to call for information:

"If you need any assistance, or have questions regarding your order,
please call our Customer Service group at 1-800-435-0917. Hours of
operation are 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time). You can
also email us at any time at
http://www.kraftfoods.com/html/main/ask.html and we'll be happy to
assist you."

http://jellostore.gage.com/cgi-bin/cornerstore.storefront/3de786480c8dba262717d8f593a2073b/Service


The closest thing I found on the official website was a new recipe for
"JELL-OŽ 10-minute Thanksgiving Fruit Whip". The top layer looks the
same as the top layer of Jell-O 1-2-3:

http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/templates/template3.jhtml?main=/jello/recipe/recipeDisplay&nav=/jello/nav/recipeNav&recipeID=8774v0

This site of "Product failures" lists Jell-O 1-2-3 as a failure that
was "successfully rejuvenated" -- but I have not found one instance of
availability or any information on this supposed comeback.

http://server.nich.edu/mnmk-lws/mgt368/368-l5c.htm

I've come to the conclusion that Jell-O 1-2-3 may have made a comeback
somewhere around 2001, but it's gone now. I checked eBay and all they
had available were molds and recipes books, etc. Although I am not
sure you'd want to buy and eat Jell-O 1-2-3 if it were found on eBay.

I'm going to call Kraft on Monday and ask what happened to this
product. I'm now very curious to find if they will bring it back, and
why it was pulled in 1996.

I hope this helped in your search for the fate of layered Jell-O.
Thanks for bringing this childhood favorite back to mind.

Sincerely, 
Filian-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

JellO 1-2-3 sale purchase store
Jello 1-2-3 marketing
"Jell-O 1-2-3"
kraft foods jell-o
3 layer Jell-O
3 layer Jell-O what happened to
Jell-O 1-2-3 for sale box
Why was Jell-O 1-2-3 removed from market in 1996
layer Jell-o 1-2-3 
JELL-O 1-2-3 DESERT MIX
Jell-O 1-2-3 mix purchase online

---

Clarification of Answer by filian-ga on 02 Dec 2002 08:48 PST

Hello thanatos-ga!

First off thank you for the great rating, tip and compliments. This
has been a very interesting journey, I have to say. I called Kraft
today and asked them about Jell-O 1-2-3 and the representative did a
bit of searching and told me that it was reintroduced in 1988 in
limited areas (Detroit, MI; Youngstown, OH; Chicago, IL; and
Minneapolis, MN) and expanded a bit in 1989 but was discontinued in
1994 due to poor sales. The rep said that when a product is
discontinued it's because the company doesn't feel it is selling
enough and there is not enough demand. I told her about the product as
she didn't know exactly what it was, and told her about the petition
online and how many sites have people saying they wished it'd make a
comeback. Right now there's no way that I have to purchase it and I'd
wager if you did find any it'd be many years old. I'm sorry it isn't
available, but maybe you can try one of the many recipes offered
online. I don't know how close it would come to the original, but it's
worth a try until Kraft brings it back again (hopefully!).

Thanks again for the tip and rating and compliment. It's been my
pleasure to research this for you.

The amount of detail the researcher gave me on my answer was quite
(pleasantly) surprising. The rapid response was wonderful as well!

Hi!

I am unsure whether you are still monitoring this question, but I just
received a reply from Kraft (although a tad belated...):

"I am researching a specific type of jello on behalf of a client. 

Do you still sell three layered jello, where the jello separates into
three layers as it sets?  If not,
what happened to it?  If so, where can I buy it. 

I believe your product may have been called jello 123. 

I would appreciate a prompt reply.  Any assistance would be much use.
"

"Thanks for visiting our Web site and inquiring about the availability
of our products.

It's great to hear from consumers who are looking for our products
because it lets us know how
much you enjoy them.  The tough part comes when we have to share the
news that the product
you're trying to find has been discontinued.  If products don't seem
to be popular with our
consumers, and demand starts to drop, a decision is made to
discontinue the item.  Once this
decision is made, we stop making the product and the remaining supply
is shipped from our
warehouse to the grocery stores. 

Please add our site to your bookmarks, and visit us again soon! "

But, I guess you already knew this from the brilliant answer to this
question!