Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a brand of cream cheese. It is one of the best selling brands of cream cheese worldwide, first produced in 1872 and currently owned by Kraft Heinz and Mondelez International.[1]
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| Product type | Cream cheese |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1872 |
| Website | Kraft Heinz Mondelez International |
Origin
editDespite its name, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was invented in New York State, not Philadelphia.[2] In 1872 William Lawrence, a dairyman from Chester, New York, attempted to make Neufchâtel, a tangy, crumblier cheese product that was popular in Europe at the time. Instead he accidentally added an excessive amount of cream and created a richer, more spreadable cheese, which would eventually be called "cream cheese". It was not marketed as "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" until 1880. That year, Lawrence partnered with A.L. Reynolds, a cheese distributor in New York to sell larger quantities of cream cheese. At the time, Philadelphia and its surrounding area had a reputation for high-quality dairy farms and creamier cheese products, so they decided to use the name "Philadelphia" on the foil-wrapped blocks of their cream cheese. The company went through some changes over the years and the trademarked Philadelphia name was sold to the Phenix Cheese Company in South Edmeston, New York. In 1928, Phenix merged with Kraft to form the Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company. Philadelphia Cream Cheese has remained a staple product in the average household and in many eateries and bagel shops worldwide.[3][4]
Outside the United States
editThe brand's popularity has spread outside of the United States, and it is the most popular cream cheese brand worldwide.[5]
In 2019, an advertisement for Philadelphia Cream Cheese that portrayed an absent-minded father was banned under a new British rule that forbade gender stereotyping on TV advertisements.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Mondelēz International, Inc". www.mondelezinternational.com.
- ^ Steele, Allison (June 3, 2019). "Philadelphia Cream Cheese was never from Philly. So why do we call it that?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Surprise! Philadelphia cream cheese isn't actually from Philly". TODAY.com. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
- ^ Newman, Andrew Adam (2011-04-03). "An Accompaniment Moves Beyond the Bagel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2011-04-07. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Krishna, Priya (January 13, 2020). "How Philadelphia Cream Cheese Took Over the World". Bon Appétit. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "Philadelphia and VW ads banned for gender stereotyping". BBC News. August 14, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-05-25. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
External links
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