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 Milk-Bone factory inBuffalo, New York | |
| Product type | Dog biscuit |
|---|---|
| Owner | J.M. Smucker |
| Country | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1908; 117 years ago (1908) |
| Previous owners |
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| Website | milkbone.com |
Milk-Bone is a brand ofdog biscuit. It was created in 1908 by the F.H. Bennett Biscuit Company, which operated a bakery on theLower East Side ofNew York City. Originally named "Maltoid", the biscuit was a bone-shaped treat made from minerals, meat products, and milk. The biscuits are made exclusively inBuffalo, New York.[1]
Sometime between 1915 and 1926, the biscuit was simply named "Milk-Bone", owing to the high composition ofcow's milk. In 1931, the bakery was acquired by the National Biscuit Company (nowNabisco). The biscuit was the only Bennett product carried over after the acquisition.
Over the next few decades, the Milk-Bone was expanded to include a number of different flavors, such as chicken and beef. The marketing focus was also shifted from Milk-Bone being merely a dog treat to a product that promoted cleaner teeth and better breath. Nabisco, under the ownership ofKraft Foods, sold the Milk-Bone rights toDel Monte Foods in May 2006.
In 2014, Del Monte Foods sold their Consumer Brands division to Del Monte Pacific Limited and focused exclusively on pet products, legally becomingBig Heart Pet Brands.[2][3]
On February 3, 2015,The J.M. Smucker Company announced the acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands.[4]
A box of Milk-Bone treats makes an early product placement appearance in the 1924 silent filmThe Tomboy, and this product was the basis for a line from the TV sitcomCheers, spoken byGeorge Wendt's character Norm: "It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."
A box of Milk-Bone Biscuits can be seen, in cartoon form, inMickey's Surprise Party (1939), a theatrical advertisement/cartoon short produced byWalt Disney Productions for Nabisco.Pluto is seen presenting Minnie's dog Fifi with a box of Milk-Bone Biscuits; she happily accepts them and thanks Pluto by kissing him.
