McCain brings back popular Potato Smiles after they disappeared five years ago

They were a staple of school canteens and childhood meals. Now, after a five year absence the popular snack is back — but with a twist.

If you attended school in Australia anywhere in the 1990s and 2000s, chances are you’re very familiar with Potato Smiles.

The delicious potato snack was a staple of canteen lunches — until they were (cruelly) discontinued by McCain five years ago.

But now McCain has answered everyone’s prayers by bringing them back albeit looking slightly different.

EmotiBites are the new updated version of Potato Smiles based on — you guessed it — emojis.

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McCain said that more than half the requests it received asked to bring back Potato Smiles.

You can now feel a range of emotions as you tuck into the potato treat from happy to sad, shocked and even a little devilish.

The updated Potato Smiles got the tick of approval from fans, with most glad to see them back in any form.

“Don’t ever take them away again!” one person wrote on McCain’s Facebook page, while another rather passionate fan commented: “NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH I LOVE AND NEED THIS WOW.”

Others reminisced on eating the snacks as kids and one person tagged a friend and writing:

“Remember you loving smileys from the primary school canteen.”

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“I miss these and the potato letters and numbers. does anyone remember those from childhood!?” another commented.

McCain said they had decided to bring back Potato Smiles due to overwhelming demand for the tasty treat.

More than 50 per cent of the requests on the brand’s Facebook page were to bring back Potato Smiles.

McCain Foods Marketing Manager ANZ Karen Ramsay said in a statement she was happy to see fans were excited by the return of Potato Smiles.

The new name is an update on the classic snack.

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“For many Australians, these are something they’ve looked back on fondly as part of their childhood. After years of build-up, it’s heartening to know that they’re meeting expectations,” she said.

Ms Ramsay said McCain had decided to give the beloved snack an update so they were more modern.

“In the 90s, Smiles were a classic for the pre-digital era, now they bring the same joy, but updated to reflect todays social world,” she said.

Emotibites are only available at Coles for $4 a pop for now — but we don’t think it will take long for them to make a comeback at school canteens.