The History of Kraft Foods

1765: A Dorchester, Massachusetts, physician, Dr. James Baker, went into partnership with an Irish chocolate-maker, John Hannon and made Americas first chocolate mill.1780: The mill made the famous BAKERS chocolate.1880: The Empire Cheese Company of New York began producing PHILADELPHIA BRAND Cream Cheese for a New York distributor called Reynolds.1882: Isaac and Joseph Breakstone (Breakstone Bros) opened a small dairy store on New York Citys Lower East Side.1883: The now famous Oscar F. Mayer and his brothers Gottfried and Max started a meat market in Chicago.1889: Food salesman, William M. Wright, created a new baking powder called CALUMETÂ ® which he made at night and sold during the day.1892: Joel Cheek developed a coffee blend for the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, called MAXWELL HOUSE coffee.1946: MAXWELL HOUSE instant coffee was introduced to the American public after the armed forces used it in World War II.1895: In Battle Creek, Michigan, C.W. Post made the fi rst POSTUMÂ ®, a cereal beverage. Post created GRAPE-NUTSÂ ® cereal in 1897, and POST TOASTIESÂ ® corn flakes in 1908.1897: Pearl Wait adapted an 1845 patent for a gelatin dessert. May Davis Wait named the new product JELL-O brand gelatin. In 1899, Orator Francis Woodward bought the trademark rights to JELL-OÂ ® for $450. Woodward launched the advertising campaign for Americas most favorite Dessert in 1902, thus ushering the era of psychological marketing.1903: J.L. Kraft started a wholesale cheese business in Chicago.1905: John Arbuckle created YUBAN coffee blend.1906: Oscar Mayer is one of the first meatpackers to obtain the Federal Meat Inspection stamp of approval.1907: Legend claims that when President Theodore Roosevelt was served a cup of MAXWELL HOUSE coffee and he proclaimed that it was GOOD TO THE LAST DROP.1914: J.L. Kraft Bros. Co. opened their first cheese factory in Stockton, Illinois, within a year they begin producing process cheese in tins. The U.S. government provided cheese in tins for the armed forces during World War I.1921: Louis Rich bought a truck and started his business in Rock Island, Illinois.1927: Edwin Perkins created a powdered fruit drink called KOOL-ADE, later called KOOL-AID. Perkins created KOOL-AID from his first product the popular soft drink syrup called Fruit Smack. The same year the Postum Company marketed SANKA decaffeinated coffee (first sold in the U.S. in 1923).1928: Kraft introduced VELVEETA process cheese.1933: Kraft introduced MIRACLE WHIP salad dressing at Chicagos Century of ProgressWorlds Fair.1936: Little Oscar and the WIENERMOBILE started the advertising campaign for Oscar Mayer Co.1937: KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese Dinner were introduced with the advertising slogan of Make a meal for 4 in 9 minutes.1949: MINUTE Rice was nationally distributed.1950: KRAFT Deluxe process cheese slices, the first commercially packaged sliced process cheese was introduced.1952: CHEEZ WHIZ pasteurized process cheese spread was introduced.1954: Kraft introduced CRACKER BARREL brand natural cheese.1957: The General Foods Corporation introduced TANG, breakfast beverage crystals.1963: The now famous wiener jingle first appeared in Oscar Mayer commercials.I965: The company introduced SHAKE N BAKE coating mix in two versions, chicken and fish.1966: COOL WHIP nondairy whipped topping was introduced.1972: STOVE TOP stuffing mix was introduced.1973: GENERAL FOODS INTERNATIONAL COFFEES flavored coffees were introduced.1981: General Foods Corp. bought Oscar Mayer Co.1983: Kraft introduced LIGHT N LIVELY low-fat yogurt, the first US yogurt in a six-pack.1985: Philip Morris Companies Inc. buys general Foods Corporation.1986: Kraft purchased Tombstone Pizza Corporation of Medford, Wisconsin (est.1962).1988: Philip Morris Companies Inc bought Kraft, Inc. Oscar Mayer introduced LUNCHABLES.1989: Philip Morris Companies combined Kraft, Inc. and General Foods Corporation to form Kraft General Foods, the largest food compa ny in the U.S. DI GIORNO brand refrigerated pasta and sauces were introduced.1993: Kraft General Foods acquired NABISCO ready-to-eat cold cereals from RJR Nabisco.1995: Kraft General Foods was renamed Kraft Foods, Inc. DI GIORNO RISING CRUST pizza was introduced.1996: BREAKSTONES snack-size cottage cheese, the first four pack of 4-ounce cups.1997: POST-Cranberry Almond Crunch and POST Honey Nut Shredded Wheat cereal was introduced. Sparkling White Grape flavored JELL-O gelatin was introduced in celebration of the brands 100th anniversary.1998: STOVE TOP OVEN CLASSICS were introduced. The same year KRAFT introduced EASY MAC macaroni and cheese dinner, a microwavable, single-serve product.