The Great Value Soda That Quietly Disappeared From Walmart Shelves

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Walmart's private label products aren't just more-affordable versions of popular name-brand items –many of those copycats are major hits in their own right. Today, we're taking a closer look (and a look back) at Great Value Red Tornado soda, which was Walmart's take on Mountain Dew Code Red. Effervescent, tangy, and cherry-tinged, it's no mystery why foodies took to this spinoff. Here at Tasting Table, we rank Mtn Dew Code Red above the original flavor, second only to Baja Blast. What's less clear is when the Great Value drink quietly disappeared from shelves, or why. 

Some folks remember the discontinued soda as a fond old friend, while others don't remember it at all. A Reddit thread writes, "People at Wal-Mart tell me that they've never heard of 'Red Tornado' pop/soda [...] If I'm wrong, about a pop I used to drink, frequently, and have a taste for, and can't find, I'm willing to accept that [...] maybe the people working at Wal-Mart are too young to remember it." Indeed, a search for "red tornado" on the official Walmart website currently brings up zero soda-related results. Although, a bottle of Red Tornado soda can be clearly seen in a Walmart grocery display in this YouTube video from 2011. Elsewhere online, an Instagram post shares a photo of Red Tornado soda in 2012. It's unclear exactly when the Mountain Dew-spinoff arrived or when it departed — but the O.G. fans haven't forgotten it. Maybe you just had to be there. 

The 2011-2012 dates of the aforementioned archival Red Tornado footage might suggest that Walmart pulled its crimson-hued soda during the widespread public health campaign against sugary drinks that rippled through the U.S. during the era. In an effort to combat rising obesity rates, a national crusade against soda prompted sales-deterring legislation. In 2012, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg introduced a radical soda ban initiative, and by 2016, cities from Berkley to Philadelphia had passed citywide soft drink tax measures. 

Great Value Red Tornado packed the full unhealthy-soda-gamut of artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, the preservative potassium benzoate, and Red 40 – call it the "junk food EGOT." A glance at Red Tornado's full ingredients list reveals that the soda was mostly water and chemicals. Although, it's worth noting that the label is almost identical to the ingredients lineup in Mtn Dew Code Red, which is still widely sold (and adds Yellow 5 and Blue 1 into the mix, too). 

Regardless of the "when" and "why" Red Tornado retired, it ultimately might be time for fans to find a new Great Value soda to love. Fans have praised Walmart's Great Value Root Beer as even better than A&W. Stuck on the red stuff? Walmart still sells Mountain Dew Code Red, as well as its creamier counterpart Big Red. But, it doesn't look like enduring fans should expect to see a Red Tornado comeback any time soon.