Hydrox

Last updated

Hydrox
Hydrox logo (2015-).svg
Hydroxlarge.jpg
Product type Sandwich cookie
Owner Leaf Brands (2014–present)
CountryUnited States
Introduced1908;116 years ago (1908)
Related brandsLeaf Brands
Previous owners
Website leafbrands.com

Hydrox is a creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie currently owned and manufactured by Leaf Brands. It debuted in the United States in 1908, and was manufactured by Sunshine Biscuits for over 90 years. [1] Hydrox was largely discontinued in 1999, three years after Sunshine was acquired by Keebler, which was later acquired by Kellogg's which in turn sold the cookie line and the rights to the Keebler name to Ferrero SpA. [2] In September 2015, the product was reintroduced by Leaf Brands.

Contents

Oreo was created in 1912 as an imitation of Hydrox. Oreo eventually surpassed Hydrox in popularity, which resulted in the Hydrox cookies being perceived by many as an imitation of Oreo, despite the opposite being the case. [3] Compared to Oreos, Hydrox cookies have a less sweet filling and a crunchier cookie shell that is less soggy when dipped in milk. [4]

History

In 1908, the cookie's creation was inspired by "purity and goodness", with a name derived from the hydrogen and oxygen elements within the water molecule. [3] [5]

"Centennial" package of Hydrox cookies with the Sunshine label Hydrox100 jeh.JPG
"Centennial" package of Hydrox cookies with the Sunshine label

Sunshine Biscuits was purchased by Keebler in 1996, and in 1999, Keebler replaced Hydrox with a similar but reformulated product called "Droxies". [3] Keebler was acquired by Kellogg's in 2001, and Kellogg's removed Droxies from the market in 2003. [1] Kellogg's then marketed a similar chocolate sandwich cookie under the Famous Amos brand, along with sandwich cookies of other flavors, but also discontinued the line. [4]

On the cookie's 100th anniversary, Kellogg's resumed distribution of Hydrox under the Sunshine label in late August 2008 in direct response to 1,300 phone calls from fans as well as an online petition with 1,000 signatures, a Hydrox fan website with the essay "Nonconformists don't eat Oreos", and dozens of forum posts, asking that production resume. The cookies were available nationally for a limited time, and less than one year later Kellogg's removed Hydrox from their web site. [5]

The Carvel ice cream franchise sold ice-cream goods manufactured with Hydrox cookie crumbs until 2012. Carvel used the cookie's all-kosher status as a selling point, because the original Oreo recipe used lard. [4] The cookies were not specifically mentioned by name on the Carvel website, but they were identified as "hydrox" [sic] on the in-store posters. Carvel currently uses Oreo cookies in its ice cream goods.

In 2014, Leaf Brands registered the "Hydrox" trademark, which had been abandoned by former owner Kellogg's. [6] Leaf began production of its version of Hydrox on September 4, 2015, at the company’s facility in Vernon, California. [7] In 2017, the recipe was changed to remove artificial flavors that had been used for 50 years [8] and the company obtained non-GMO certification. [9]

Leaf Brands filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission in 2018 against Mondelez International, maker of Oreo cookies, for hiding Hydrox cookies from customers on store shelves. [10] [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A cookie or biscuit is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oreo</span> Chocolate cookie with creme filling made by Nabisco

Oreo is a brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two cocoa biscuits or cookie pieces with a sweet fondant filling. It was introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912, and through a series of corporate acquisitions, mergers, and splits, both Nabisco and the Oreo brand have been owned by Mondelez International since 2012. Oreo cookies are available in over one hundred countries. Many varieties of Oreo cookies have been produced, and limited-edition runs have become popular in the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keebler Company</span> American cookie and former cracker manufacturer

The Keebler Company is an American cookie and former cracker manufacturer. Founded in 1853, it has produced numerous baked snacks, advertised with the Keebler Elves. Keebler had marketed its brands such as Cheez-It, Chips Deluxe, Club Crackers, E.L. Fudge Cookies, Famous Amos, Fudge Shoppe Cookies, Murray cookies, Austin, Plantation, Vienna Fingers, Town House Crackers, Wheatables, Sandie's Shortbread, Pizzarias Pizza Chips, Chachos and Zesta Crackers, among others. Keebler slogans have included "Uncommonly Good" and "a little elfin magic goes a long way". Tom Shutter and Leo Burnett wrote the familiar jingle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrero SpA</span> Italian multinational food corporation

Ferrero International SpA, more commonly known as Ferrero Group or simply Ferrero, is an Italian multinational company with headquarters in Alba. Ferrero is a manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products, and the second biggest chocolate producer and confectionery company in the world. Ferrero SpA is a private company owned by the Ferrero family and has been described as "one of the world's most secretive firms".

Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a "chocolatey" coating. It was invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923. A popularity contest chose the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Biscuits</span> Defunct American snack company

Sunshine Biscuits, formerly known as The Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, was an independent American baker of cookies, crackers, and cereals. The company, which became a brand on a few products such as Cheez-It, was purchased by Keebler Company in 1996, which was purchased by Kellogg Company in 2001. Around then, Sunshine Biscuits was headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, where Keebler was located until 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal cracker</span> Cracker baked in the shape of an animal

An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and slightly sweet, but darker chocolate-flavored and colorful frosted varieties are also sold. Although animal crackers tend to be sweet in flavor like cookies, they are made with a layered dough like crackers and are marketed as crackers and not cookies.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Fingers</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">E.L. Fudge</span>

E.L. Fudge is an American snack food introduced in 1986 and manufactured by the Keebler Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero SpA. They are butter-flavored shortbread sandwich cookies with a fudge creme filling. The company describes their shape as "elfin", though it is actually various Keebler elves, each identified with a name tag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club Crackers</span> Type of cracker

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crunch (chocolate bar)</span> Chocolate bar

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Murray Sugar Free Cookies, also known as the Murray Biscuit Company, is a commercial bakery in Augusta, Georgia, United States, that produces calorie-reduced biscuits. The company is part of the Ferrero Group, an Italian company best known for its Nutella hazelnut spread, and operates as a division of Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. It was founded by John L. Murray, a salesperson who accepted a cookie machine as payment for a $500 debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich cookie</span> Cookies kept by two thin cookies or biscuits with filling in between

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negresco</span> Sandwich cookie

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References

  1. 1 2 Eber, H. (February 26, 2012). "The Big O: The Chelsea-born Oreo cookie celebrates its 100th birthday". New York Post . pp. 44–45.
  2. Reddy, Arjun (April 1, 2019). "Kellogg has agreed to sell its Keebler and Famous Amos businesses to Ferrero for $1.3 billion". Business Insider.
  3. 1 2 3 Lukas, Paul (March 15, 1999). "Oreos to Hydrox: Resistance Is Futile". Fortune . Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 Rhoads, Christopher (January 19, 2008). "The Hydrox Cookie Is Dead, and Fans Won't Get Over It". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  5. 1 2 Vinh, Tan (August 27, 2008). "Hydrox cookies make a comeback for 100th anniversary". The Seattle Times . Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  6. Kestenbaum, David (September 23, 2015). "One Man's Mission To Bring Back Hydrox Cookies". Morning Edition . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  7. Schroeder, Eric (September 4, 2015). "Leaf Brands begins production of Hydrox cookies". Food Business News. Retrieved September 20, 2015. Leaf Brands L.L.C. officially relaunched Hydrox cookies on Sept. 4 with the onset of production at the company's facility in Vernon, Calif.
  8. "Hydrox now has no artificial flavors or colors!". Leaf Brands. February 15, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  9. "Leaf Brands Continues to Improve Hydrox with Non-GMO Status!". Leaf Brands. March 26, 2017.
  10. Toussaint, Kristin (August 13, 2018). "Hydrox cookies claims Oreos parent company is sabotaging their sales". Metro . London. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  11. "Hydrox Cookies". Facebook. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  12. Gelski, Jeff (August 17, 2018). "Cookie-hiding claim fuels Oreo-Hydrox flareup". Food Business News. Retrieved August 28, 2022.