“Today is going down as a huge turning point in my life,” my mother told me recently.

“Oh, why?” I asked hesitantly, trying to remember if today was her wedding anniversary, divorce anniversary or some other anniversary.

“They’ve discontinued my General Foods International Orange Cappuccino!” She wailed.

I cannot remember a time in my life when my mother did not drink the General Foods International Orange Cappuccino. There was always one or two of the small rectangular tins on our kitchen counter, one full of the instant coffee mix and one containing drained grease. The tins were metal and wouldn’t melt when hot liquid grease was poured into them after cooking.

But now, just like my lamented Strawberry Shredded Wheat, the Orange Cappuccino is missing from the shelves of Target, Kroger and Meijer. When I visited the General Foods web site, they have a listing for Orange Spice Latte in the place of the the old Orange Cappuccino page. According to comments on this page, the Orange Spice Latte flavor does not taste the same.

I wish they would warn people before discontinuing a line of food. Then people could stock up and buy several cases in preparation of the loss of their favorite foods. Oh well! Farewell, Orange Cappuccino, I shall miss seeing your tins on my mother’s kitchen counter.