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 Vintage Crisco can | |
| Product type | |
|---|---|
| Owner | B&G Foods |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | June 1911; 114 years ago (1911-06) |
| Previous owners |
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| Website | crisco |
Crisco is an American brand ofshortening that is produced byB&G Foods. Introduced in June 1911[1] byProcter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely ofvegetable oil, originallycottonseed oil. Additional products marketed under the Crisco brand include acooking spray, variousolive oils, and other cooking oils, includingcanola,corn,peanut,sunflower, andblended oils.
The process of thehydrogenation of organic substances in gas form was developed byPaul Sabatier in the late 19th century. Building onJames Boyce's 1890s work in the successful development of a consumable solidlard substitute,Cottolene, in the U.S.,[2] the liquid form of hydrogenation was perfected and patented byWilhelm Normann in 1903.[1]
Joseph Crosfield and Sons acquired Normann's patent ostensibly for use in the production of soap. Their chiefchemist,Edwin C. Kayser, was hired by Procter & Gamble's business manager,John Burchenal, and they patented two processes to hydrogenatecottonseed oil.[1] Although their initial intent was to completely harden oils for use as raw material for making soap, these processes ensured that the fat would remain solid at normalstorage temperatures and could find use in the food industry.[1]
After rejecting the names "Krispo" and "Cryst" (the latter for its religious connotations), Procter & Gamble called the product Crisco, a modification of the phrase "crystallized cottonseed oil".[1] They usedadvertising techniques that encouraged consumers not to be concerned about ingredients but to trust in a reliablebrand.[3] Further success came from the marketing technique of giving away free cookbooks in which every recipe called for Crisco.
Crisco vegetable oil was introduced in 1960. In 1976, Procter & Gamble introduced sunflower oil under the trade name Puritan Oil, which was marketed as a lower-cholesterol alternative. In 1988, Puritan Oil was switched to 100%canola oil.
In 2002,Procter & Gambledivested the Crisco (oil and shortening) brand, along withJif peanut butter, in aspinoff to theirstockholders; the two brands then immediatelymerged with theJ. M. Smucker Co.[4]
B&G Foods acquired the Crisco brand in December 2020.[5]
In April 2004, Smucker introduced "Crisco Zero GramsTrans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening", which contained fully hydrogenated palm oil blended with liquid vegetable oils to yield a shortening much like the original Crisco. From January 24, 2007, all Crisco shortening products were reformulated to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving; the separately marketed trans fat-free version introduced in 2004 was consequently discontinued.[6] As of October 2022[update], Crisco consists of a blend ofsoybean oil, fully hydrogenatedpalm oil, and palm oil. According to the product information label, one 12-g serving of Crisco contains 3.5 g ofsaturated fat, 0 g of trans fat, 6 g ofpolyunsaturated fat, and 2.5 g ofmonounsaturated fat.[7] This reformulated Crisco is claimed to have the same cooking properties and flavor as the original version of the product.[citation needed]
According to the FDA, "Food manufacturers are allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 0.5 gram (1/2 g) per serving as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel."[8]
Some nutritionists[who?] argue that while the formula has been changed to remove the trans fatty acids, thefully hydrogenated oil used to replace them may not be good for health. Crisco and similar low-trans fat products are formed by theinteresterification of a mixture of fully hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils. The composition of the resultanttriglycerides is random, and may contain combinations of fatty acids not commonly found in nature.[9][10] A recent study showed that interesterified fat increased volunteers'blood sugar by 20%, while simultaneously lowering the body'sHDL cholesterol.[11]
While Kayser's patents were filed in 1910 and granted in 1915, Hugh Moore, chief chemist for theBerlin Mills Company inBerlin, New Hampshire, filed his patents by 1914 (granted 1914 and 1916). Berlin Mills's vegetable shortening (later trademarked in 1915 as Kream Krisp) appeared on the market in 1914.[1] Procter & Gamble became aware of the competition by February 1915. Burchenal contacted Berlin Mills claiming that they were infringing on P&G's patents and suggested they meet to discuss the issue. When this approach failed, P&G filed suit against Berlin Mills (seeBerlin Mills Co. v. Procter & Gamble Co., 254 U.S. 156 (1920), also known asProcter and Gamble vs. the Brown Company).[1][a] Procter and Gamble lost the suit, but they bought Kream Krisp in the mid-1920s.[12]
Around the time of thegay liberation movement of the 1960s–1980s, men commonly used Crisco as alubricant foranal fisting since it was inexpensive and widely available.[13][14] It was prominently featured in gay pornography such asErotic Hands (1980) before specialized products became available.[15][14] As a result, "Crisco" became a euphemism for fisting ingay slang.[16][17]
According to Drew Sawyer, a Ph.D. student who presented commentary on art history in a 2007 "Thing Theory" seminar class atColumbia University, in the 1970s, cans of Crisco were "so synonymous withgay sex that discos and bars around the world took on the name, such asCrisco Disco in New York City, one of the premiere clubs during the 1970s and early 1980s".[18] The DJ booth at Crisco Disco was designed to resemble a giant Crisco can.[19][20]
In 2013,Detroit-based artist Jerry Vile placed a 4-ft. tall empty can decorated to look like a can of Crisco in front of the fist-shapedMonument to Joe Louis for "helping to ease the pain ofDetroit's bankruptcy."[21][22] Many interpreted the can as a reference to the sexual practice of fisting.[23][24]
Crisco is also mentioned inNirvana's "Hairspray Queen," where he is quoted in the line "At night, Crisco lovefest."[25]
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