Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Do your Oreos taste different?

Another message board buddy said she thought her Oreos didn't taste as good as they did when we were little. Well, she's right, they have changed the recipe.

But first, a little cookie history:

In 1898, several baking companies merged to form the National Biscuit Company (NaBisCo), the maker of Oreo cookies.

By 1902, Nabisco created Barnum's Animal cookies and made them famous by selling them in a little box designed like a cage with a string attached (to hang on Christmas trees).

In 1912, Nabisco had a new idea for a cookie - two chocolate disks with a creme filling in between. The first Oreo cookie looked very similar to the Oreo cookie of today, with only a slight difference in the design on the chocolate disks.

The shape and design of the Oreo cookie didn't change much until Nabisco began selling various versions of the cookie. In 1975, Nabisco released their DOUBLE STUF Oreos. Nabisco continued to create variations:

1987 -- Fudge covered Oreos introduced
1991 -- Halloween Oreos introduced
1995 -- Christmas Oreos introduced

But do they taste different now?

Probably. The company changed the recipe in the past couple of years after a 2003 lawsuit tried to stop Nabisco from selling Oreos to children in California because they contained a high level of trans fat.

Kraft agreed to remove partially hydrogenated oil from the Oreo. Two months later, Kraft said that it would reduce or eliminate trans fat in all its cookies and crackers across the board. Kraft also agreed to stop all in-school marketing. Now that companies are required to include trans fat info on the nutrition label (since January 2006), Nabisco is saying:

"A serving of our regular Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies--which is three cookies--contains 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of which is saturated fat and 0 grams of which is trans fat.

"A comparable serving of our Reduced Fat Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies contains 4.5 grams of fat, including 1 gram of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat."

Well, they still aren't exactly "health food," but props to Kraft and Nabisco for trying.

Tell you what, I still miss the Oreos of my childhood. But the new ones are still far superior to Sunshine's Hydrox brand. I always thought it took a lot of nerve for adults to try passing them off as my beloved Oreos!

15 comments:

Erudite Redneck said...

I thought I detected the distnct absence of lard! Dang it!

Bring back lard!

Bring back lard!

Bring Back lard!!!

Trixie said...

OMG!

I can't stand generic oreos or almost any other kind of generic cookie. Sunshine cookies are one step above generics. The only generic cookies that I truely adore are by Archer Farms and are the Target house brand. The carrot cake cookies are yummy//but the chocolate cherry cookies are amazing.

My husband just asked if you would do a history Vienna Sausages...

Anonymous said...

For the record:

Hydrox cookies debuted in 1908, four years before Nabisco's cookie. It's Oreos that are the ripoff, not the other way around.

I'm not saying either one was/is absolutely better than the other (although I was raised on, and always preferred, the less sugary Hydrox), but give Sunshine's cookies their due: they were neither a knock-off, nor were they some cheep generic brand.

Call 'em worst if you want, but they were still the first.

Anonymous said...

Hydrox Rules...Ok, Hydrox Ruled. Superior in every way to the better marketed Oreo.

Anonymous said...

I love Oreos and I haven't had them in about a year or more. I am starting a diet and I thought I would have a pack of oreas one last time - since it is somehing I would wind up craving later while on my diet! Well, I bought some at the local deli and they were so gross I thought maybe they were bad. I googled bad Oreos and found this! I won't have to worry about craving Oreos when on my diet! I will never eat another ever again! Gross!

Anonymous said...

I bought some Oreos a couple of days ago and my husband and I had some last night, we just looked at each other and both said " these taste different". I used to crave Oreos, but thanks to their new recipe, NEVER AGAIN!
I guess I should thank them but I think it's really sad that I'll never have the Oreos of my youth again. So much for more politically correctness. YUK!!

Anonymous said...

I noticed that they started tasting more like the berry flavor that they made...definitely not the same.

Anonymous said...

Just tasted an Oreo Smile cookie from a 6 pack from a vending machine. They were definitely different, not nearly as good as they were 6 months ago. I know they changed the recipe to take out some of the fats, but they left an after taste that was aweful. I hate to think that this is what we are left with when they used to be so good!! Bring back the old OREO's Please......

Anonymous said...

I thought oreos tasted different,but the cookie outside is also more brittle. why csn't they leave wellenough alone!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, my Oreos have changed and don't tastes good anymore... Sad...

Unknown said...

OMG----what a disappointment. I dunked my oreo in milk and it took a lot longer to soften up. Then----my taste buds said--"girl, this aint the same cookie". I also think the chocolate cookie pieces are thinner. What Happened to the recipe!!! Please bring back the cookie I knew and loved. Haven't you heard,"if it aint broke don't fix it".

Anonymous said...

Cookies are not supposed to be health food...bring back the old recipe and we'll work on moderation!

Fonnell/Grammie/mom said...

It's Oct 2016 and I just tossed a big box of oreos. Everyone tried them and said they were nasty. So if you don't want fat in your diet don't buy a cookie with fat, but if you like good taste and you can manage your eating why oh why would I waste it one of these awful oreos, give me back real oreos! We can make a choice on our own. I don't want a cookie company choosing for me. You won't be getting my business. As a matter of fact I am an awesome baker, I'll just bake my own!

Steven said...

I totally agree with the last comment! However I can buy a pack of family size double stuff Oreos one day and they will be the best cookies ever! Then I go back a couple days later every time I buy them hoping it's a good batch and then it will be the nastiest cookie you have ever tasted! My wife calls me crazy because she can't tell but I'm an Oreo freak so I keep buying them and giving the crappy ones to my wife and dad lol! The cookie will not get soft and then I believe it's the chocolate outside which is just bitter and leaves horrible after taste! Idk why other people can't tell so they would change it back but I guess little kids don't care it's just hard to go from a great cookie in one pack to a nasty cookie in another so I'm about to give up!

Steven said...

I totally agree with the last comment! However I can buy a pack of family size double stuff Oreos one day and they will be the best cookies ever! Then I go back a couple days later every time I buy them hoping it's a good batch and then it will be the nastiest cookie you have ever tasted! My wife calls me crazy because she can't tell but I'm an Oreo freak so I keep buying them and giving the crappy ones to my wife and dad lol! The cookie will not get soft and then I believe it's the chocolate outside which is just bitter and leaves horrible after taste! Idk why other people can't tell so they would change it back but I guess little kids don't care it's just hard to go from a great cookie in one pack to a nasty cookie in another so I'm about to give up!