The only thing I find tastier than sugary cookies is a huge spoonful of drama, and this story delivers both.
It involves nasty accusations against "America's Favorite Cookie," Oreo, made by one of their biggest competitors.
And there's an ugly backstory to this "cookie war" that has customers picking sides.
The First vs. The Best
The first "creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie" to win America's heart was not Oreo, but actually Hydrox.
First made in 1908, these cookies had a four-year head start on Oreo, but lost out to the newer company's marketing skills.
Hydrox managed to cling to a small group of devoted fans until 2003, when they were finally foced off the market.
The cookie's supporters still argue that Hydrox just tastes better - plus it's kosher, while Oreo is not.
In 2015, Hydrox returned to store shelves with an aggressive new slogan, "The original sandwich cookie is back, don't eat a knock off!"
The label also proudly declared that Hydrox is "America's Original Creme Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookie."
After 100 years, the intense rivalry between Oreo and Hydrox - described as a "blood feud" by some outlets, is still going strong.
And Hydrox claims that Oreo is trying to wipe out their competition using dirty tricks in the supermarket.
Sabotage In The Snack Aisle
In a dramatic Facebook post, Hydrox (and their parent company Leaf) have accused Oreo of sabotaging their sales.
And it's not just online grousing, Leaf has actually taken their complaints against Oreo to the Federal Trade Commission.
They argue that Oreo's parent company, Mondelez, has been deliberately hiding Hydrox from customers to hurt their rival's sales.
"We @Hydrox cookie have been very frustrated with the hiding of our cookies at major retailers by the folks @Oreo," the brand wrote, "so we finally filed an official complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last week."
The post included photos of Hydrox cookies hidden behind hanging displays and stacked in the wrong location, which Leaf says is part of "a national program to damage our brand and stop us from competing."
The Cookie Conspiracy
In the comments section of Hydrox's post, fans are divided between skeptics and true believers.
"I personally work for Nabisco and have NEVER been instructed to move/hide your cookies," one person shared, calling the hidden cookies "a retail store issue."
But other were confident something fishy is going on.
"I can personally attest that Mondelez DOES in fact do this," wrote another commenter.
"I was a Retail Reset Merchandiser for SAS Retail Services (one of the 5 Walmart-approved vendors). In my territory of 5 Walmart stores, I regularly would see Mondelez Merchandisers and that company has them do some shady things."
A Hydrox fan even shared the chilling reply they heard from a store manager after asking about Hydrox, "The Oreo folks threatened to cut back on their deliveries if Hydrox wasn't dropped."
Mondelez says the claims that they're being underhanded have "no merit," while Leaf claims they have more proof ready for the FTC.
"Much of our shelf placement is due to the fact that Oreo is the #1 cookie in the [United States]," a Mondelez spokesperson said, "and retailers typically align premium placement to the fastest selling products, based on consumer demand."
"We always operate with integrity, and we are proud to be America's favorite cookie."
