Is that even an Oreo? Once more Mr. Tidbit mentions his rule against reporting about new grocery products that are merely new flavors of existing products, and once more he mentions it because he's about to break it. But he must admit that he enjoys making note of the silly new flavors of Oreos. And the latest is a beaut:

It's "limited edition" Candy Corn Oreos: side-by-side pats of yellow and orange Candy Corn Flavor Creme between Golden Oreo cookies. (The label indicates that this item is artificially flavored; Mr. Tidbit thinks they should have gone the extra mile and used natural Candy Corn flavor creme.)

If you were foolish enough to ask Mr. Tidbit what he thinks of the flavor, he would say that it seems to be pretty close to that of the filling in the recent Golden Oreo Birthday Cake Fudge Cremes. That flavor, he would add, resembles neither birthday cake nor candy corn so much as it seems to be oversweetened vanilla, but maybe that's just Mr. Tidbit. (Remember: You were foolish enough to ask.)

The bag of Candy Corn Oreos weighs only 10.5 ounces and sells for the same price as the 15.5-ounce bag of regular Oreos, so Candy Corn Oreos cost 48 percent more per ounce.

But there's more! In fairness, Mr. Tidbit ought to mention that this Halloween also brings us the dubious pleasures of Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses and White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms. He did not taste either one, as he was still a little bilious from the Candy Corn Oreos.

The Oreos are said to be exclusively at Target and the M&Ms exclusively at Wal-Mart, but he found the M&Ms at Target, where a 9.9-ounce bag was the same price as a 12.6-ounce bag of regular milk chocolate M&Ms (making the Candy Corn ones 27 percent more per ounce). The 10-ounce bag of the Pumpkin Spice Kisses was the same price as a 12-ounce bag of regular milk chocolate Kisses (20 percent more per ounce for Pumpkin Spice).

AL SICHERMAN