Crisco: An Overview

Introduction

• Product Type: Shortening, Cooking spray, Cooking oils
• Owner: B&G Foods
• Country: United States
• Introduced: June 1911
• Website: crisco.com
• Previous Owners:
  • Procter & Gamble (1911-2002)
  • The J.M. Smucker Company (2002-2020)

Historical Background

• Development of Hydrogenation:
  • Process developed by Paul Sabatier in the late 19th century.
  • Wilhelm Normann perfected and patented liquid hydrogenation in 1903.
• Procter & Gamble's Role:
  • Acquired patent for hydrogenating cottonseed oil for soap but later used in food industry.
  • Brand name "Crisco" emerged from rejected names “Krispo” and “Cryst”.
  • Successful marketing through free cookbooks featuring Crisco recipes.

Product Evolution

• 1960: Introduction of Crisco vegetable oil.
• 1976: Introduction of sunflower oil under the trade name Puritan Oil.
• 1988: Puritan Oil switched to 100% canola oil.
• 2002: Crisco brand sold to J. M. Smucker Co. and later acquired by B&G Foods in 2020.

Changes in Fat Content

• 2004: Introduction of "Crisco Zero Grams Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening".
• 2007: Reformulation to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving.
• Current Composition: Soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and palm oil with 3.5g of saturated fat and 0g trans fat per serving.
• Health Concerns: Discussion on the health impacts of fully hydrogenated oils replacing trans fats.

Legal and Market Competition

• Kream Krisp:
  • Competitor product launched by Berlin Mills Company in 1914.
  • Procter & Gamble filed a lawsuit but later acquired Kream Krisp in the mid-1920s.

Sexual Use

• Crisco as a Lubricant:
  • Commonly used in the gay liberation movement for anal fisting.
  • Became a euphemism for fisting in gay slang.
  • Inspired names of clubs such as Crisco Disco in NYC.

In Popular Culture

• Art Installation (2013): Jerry Vile placed a large can of Crisco in front of a Detroit monument, interpreted as a reference to fisting.

See Also

• Related Topics: Crisco Disco

References

• Historical references to Crisco's development and market presence.
• Studies on the health implications of Crisco’s ingredients.