Ever shared a photo of a delicious new chocolate bar, only to find out it doesn’t exist? If you have, you’ve probably been snackfished.
‘Snackfish’ is a word that describes photoshopped or AI-generated images of imaginary food products shared on social media. BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story opened the cupboard to find out more.
What are snackfishes?
They’re ideas for new foods that don’t exist - yet - often for popular brands of chocolate, crisps and biscuits.
Some are unexpected brand mashups, like an M&S Percy Pig Diet Coke or a Tunnock’s Teacake McFlurry. However not all are appealing or even edible - mouthwash flavoured with Stilton cheese, anyone?
The term snackfish comes from the slang use of Catfish, popularised by a 2010 documentary and later spin-off series on MTV. It describes a person who creates a false online identity to deceive others.
How did snackfishes start?
The trend began in earnest when the UK’s foremost creator of snackfishes, Benji – he prefers not to give his surname – created the social media account UK Snack Attack in 2023. The account defines a snackfish as “a snack that lies about its legitimacy as an official product online for internet clout and attention”.
The account has 9.7 million likes on TikTok and it’s also got 294,000 followers on Instagram. One post showing a bottle of transparent tomato ketchup has been viewed 29 million times since it was uploaded to TikTok in November 2023.
In 2024, Benji told the American magazine Wired that creating fake foods was “just a little hobby” and he enjoyed having fun making them.
Another snackfishing account on TikTok, @snackfishkitchen, has 6,000 followers and says it’s about “AI-powered food product ideas and concepts for public reaction”.
What do brands think of snackfishing?
Companies have joined in the fun, likely recognising the engagement potential of accounts like Benji’s. A TikTok video about Milkybar Pringles in November 2022, which has been played 9.8 million times, had thousands of comments. Among them was one from the official Milkybar TikTok account asking: “What’s this?”.
Are snackfishes ever real?
Some of the snackfishes you’ll see on social media may appear too bizarre ever to become real. However unusual flavours have made it to the shelves before, adding legitimacy to the ideas.
In recent years, it's been possible to try lemon drizzle flavour chocolate Digestives, hot honey Jaffa Cakes - or even a Heinz Tomato Ketchup smoothie at one chain of restaurants in the USA.
People want to share these unusual products and tag their friends because they provoke an emotion - whether that’s disgust or excitement - about something that’s familiar to us. Who doesn’t have an opinion on a new variety of their favourite chocolate bar?
While it may be fun, it’s another reminder that we need to think critically about what we see online. If you’re not sure whether a photo is a snackfish, look at the hashtags and caption with it.
Creators like Benji make it clear that it’s not real with a disclaimer saying “THESE DO NOT EXIST” - but if you’re still not sure, always find an official source of information to verify what you’re seeing.
This article was published in April 2026
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