History of Oreos

Oreos are America’s top selling cookie, favorites for almost 100 years. In 1912, National Biscuit Company developed Oreo as a biscuit.

It was introduced to compete with Hydrox Biscuit Bonbons, which had been launched by Sunshine Biscuit brand two years earlier.

Both brands Oreo and Hydrox biscuits were round dark chocolate sandwich cookies with a vanilla cream filling. Hydrox cookie lost market share to Nabisco and was withdrawn in 1999.

Oreos were packaged in tins with glass tops for easy viewing and sold for 25 cents a pound.

Oreo is a derivative from the French word for gold or the Greek word meaning hill. Made in Nabisco’s Chelsea factory in New York City, Oreos were initially aimed at the British market.

The first Oreos came filled with two different flavors – lemon meringue and cream. In 1974, Nabisco officially changed the name of the product to Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

The original Oreo was made with lard and thus had excessive saturated fat. Oreo switched to transfats in 1992 without affecting the taste and texture.

During the 1990s, Nabisco introduced a variety of new ‘Oreo’ products, such as a lower calorie version of Oreos.

In 2000, Nabisco was acquired by Kraft Foods Inc. In 2007 Kraft changes the shape of the Oreo for the first time in its 95 year history.
History of Oreos