Crisco

Crisco is an American food brand associated chiefly with vegetable shortening, cooking oils, and cooking spray. Procter & Gamble introduced the brand in June 1911, presenting it as a shelf-stable, entirely vegetable-based alternative to animal fats. Its original shortening was made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil, a commercially important innovation at a time when cottonseed oil was increasingly available as a by-product of the textile and cotton industries. The product helped establish vegetable shortening as a mainstream household cooking ingredient in the United States. The brand name was derived from a phrase referring to crystallized cottonseed oil. Procter & Gamble supported the launch with unusually intensive consumer education and promotion. Rather than relying only on conventional advertising, the company distributed cookbooks in which recipes were designed around Crisco. This approach encouraged households to treat the shortening as a dependable pantry staple for pie crusts, cakes, frying, and other cooking applications. The brand's early marketing also emphasized cleanliness, consistency, and predictability compared with lard and butter, while downplaying the technical complexity of hydrogenation. Crisco later expanded beyond solid shortening. A liquid Crisco vegetable oil was introduced in 1960, followed by additional oils marketed under related brand names and, over time, a broader portfolio of canola, corn, peanut, sunflower, olive, blended, and other cooking oils. Cooking spray became another important extension, allowing the brand to participate in convenience-oriented food preparation as well as traditional baking and frying. The product's formulation and health positioning changed substantially in the twenty-first century. In 2004, the owner introduced a version promoted as containing zero grams of trans fat per serving. In 2007, the full shortening line was reformulated to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving, and the separate trans-fat-free product was discontinued. The newer formula used fully hydrogenated palm oil blended with liquid vegetable oils rather than relying on partially hydrogenated oil. Although nutrition labeling could show zero grams of trans fat below the applicable per-serving threshold, the reformulation generated continuing discussion about saturated fat, interesterified fats, and the broader nutritional implications of replacement fats. Procter & Gamble divested Crisco in 2002 through a transaction involving its food brands. Crisco and Jif subsequently became part of The J.M. Smucker Company. Smucker later sold the Crisco brand to B&G Foods in December 2020. B&G Foods manufactures and markets Crisco as part of its portfolio of branded shelf-stable foods; the brand's production has been associated with the company's facility in St. Bernard, Ohio. Today, Crisco remains primarily a North American pantry brand, with its strongest identity in home baking, frying, pie making, and everyday cooking. Its positioning combines heritage and familiarity with practical product claims such as dependable texture, high-heat utility, and convenience.

Crisco emerged from Procter & Gamble's work on hydrogenating vegetable oils. The company initially investigated hydrogenation as a way to harden oils for industrial applications, particularly soap production. Technical developments associated with cottonseed-oil hydrogenation made it possible to create a fat that remained solid at ordinary storage temperatures while remaining suitable for food preparation. Procter & Gamble turned this technology into a consumer product and introduced Crisco in June 1911. The launch was significant because Crisco was promoted as the first shortening made entirely from vegetable oil. Its original base was cottonseed oil, which could be transformed from a liquid into a stable semi-solid through hydrogenation. This gave households a product that behaved more consistently than many animal fats and could be stored without refrigeration. The company developed the name from a phrase associated with crystallized cottonseed oil after considering other proposed names. Procter & Gamble's marketing helped define the brand. Early advertising encouraged consumers to trust the product's consistency and cleanliness, while branded cookbooks supplied practical instructions. The cookbooks were especially important because they embedded Crisco in recipes for pie crusts, cakes, biscuits, frying, and other routine household tasks. The strategy transformed a technically novel fat into a recognizable cooking habit. Crisco faced competition from other vegetable shortenings, including Kream Krisp, a product associated with Berlin Mills. Procter & Gamble pursued a patent dispute concerning hydrogenation technology but ultimately lost the case involving Berlin Mills. The company later acquired Kream Krisp in the mid-1920s, strengthening its position in the shortening category. The brand diversified during the second half of the twentieth century. Liquid Crisco vegetable oil arrived in 1960. Procter & Gamble also marketed sunflower oil under the Puritan Oil name in the 1970s and later shifted that product to canola oil. These extensions reflected changing consumer interest in liquid oils, cholesterol-related claims, and different cooking applications. In 2002, Procter & Gamble separated Crisco and Jif from its portfolio. The brands moved into a transaction that resulted in their combination with The J.M. Smucker Company. Under Smucker, Crisco continued as a recognizable household brand while expanding its range of oils and sprays. The brand's formulation became a major issue in the 2000s as food companies responded to concern over partially hydrogenated oils and industrial trans fats. Smucker introduced a trans-fat-free shortening variant in 2004 and subsequently reformulated the broader shortening line in 2007. The reformulated shortening combined fully hydrogenated palm oil with liquid vegetable oils. This approach removed industrial trans fat from the product as defined by the applicable nutrition-labeling rules, while retaining a solid texture suitable for baking and frying. The change preserved the brand's traditional functional promise but also prompted debate among nutrition commentators about saturated fat and the health effects of replacement fats. B&G Foods acquired Crisco from Smucker in December 2020. The brand is now part of B&G Foods' shelf-stable grocery portfolio and is produced and marketed in the United States. Its present identity rests on heritage, household familiarity, and practical performance across baking, frying, cooking, and food release applications. Although Crisco has acquired additional cultural associations outside food use, its commercial business remains centered on cooking fats, oils, and sprays.

• 2020

  B&G Foods acquires Crisco

  [2]B&G Foods completes acquisition of Criscobgfoods.com

  B&G Foods completes its acquisition of the Crisco brand from The J.M. Smucker Company.

• 2007

  The shortening range is reformulated

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Crisco reformulates its shortening products to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving.

• 2004

  Zero-trans-fat shortening is introduced

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Smucker launches a Crisco shortening marketed as containing zero grams of trans fat per serving.

• 2002

  Crisco moves to The J.M. Smucker Company

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Procter & Gamble divests Crisco in a transaction involving Jif, after which the brands become part of Smucker.

• 1960

  Liquid vegetable oil is added

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Crisco expands from solid shortening into liquid cooking oil.

• 1920

  Patent litigation ends in a loss for Procter & Gamble

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Berlin Mills Co. v. Procter & Gamble Co. addresses the competing shortening patents.

• 1920

  Procter & Gamble later acquires Kream Krisp

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Procter & Gamble purchased the competing Kream Krisp business in the mid-1920s.

• 1914

  Kream Krisp enters the market

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Berlin Mills markets a competing vegetable shortening later associated with the patent dispute involving Procter & Gamble.

• 1911

  Crisco is introduced

  [1]Criscoen.wikipedia.org

  Procter & Gamble launches Crisco as an all-vegetable shortening based initially on hydrogenated cottonseed oil.

A familiar, accessible pantry brand offering reliable cooking fats and oils for home baking, frying, roasting, and everyday food preparation.

• Vegetable shortening · 1911

  Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening

  The core Crisco product is a solid vegetable shortening designed for baking, frying, and general cooking. It is valued for producing tender pastry and maintaining a stable texture at room temperature. Modern formulations use a blend of vegetable oils, including fully hydrogenated palm oil and liquid oils, rather than the original hydrogenated cottonseed-oil formula. The product is sold in tubs and other household formats.

• Cooking oil · 1960

  Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil

  Introduced in 1960, Crisco vegetable oil extended the brand into liquid cooking fats. It is intended for frying, sautéing, baking, marinades, and other everyday applications where a neutral-tasting liquid oil is useful. The range has helped Crisco compete beyond its historic shortening identity and has been accompanied by additional oil varieties and blends.

• Cooking spray

  Crisco Cooking Spray

  Crisco cooking spray is a convenience-oriented product used to coat baking pans, cookware, and food-preparation surfaces. It translates the brand's cooking-fat heritage into a controlled-release format, supporting baking and food release while reducing the need to measure solid shortening or pour liquid oil.

• Cooking oils

  Crisco specialty cooking oils

  The broader Crisco portfolio has included canola, corn, peanut, sunflower, olive, and blended oils. These products address different flavor, cooking-temperature, and recipe preferences while retaining the Crisco name. Availability and exact varieties may differ by market and product period.

• 1911Crisco cookbook program

  United States

  Procter & Gamble distributed cookbooks and recipe materials built around Crisco. The program taught consumers how to substitute the new vegetable shortening for established fats and tied the brand to repeatable household recipes.

  Outcome. Helped establish Crisco as a routine pantry ingredient and supported adoption beyond the initial product launch.

  Source

• 2020

  Sell the brand to B&G FoodsM&A

  Background

  The J.M. Smucker Company restructured its portfolio of shelf-stable food brands.

  Action taken

  B&G Foods acquired Crisco in December 2020.

  Aftermath

  Crisco became part of B&G Foods' branded grocery portfolio and continued to operate as an active cooking-fat and oil brand.

  Source

• 2007

  Reformulate the full shortening lineGeneration change

  Background

  Food-industry concerns and labeling rules surrounding partially hydrogenated oils increased the importance of reducing trans fat in packaged cooking products.

  Action taken

  Crisco reformulated all shortening products to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving and discontinued the separately marketed trans-fat-free version.

  Aftermath

  The reformulation retained a solid shortening format while changing the oil blend. Nutrition commentators continued to debate the role of saturated and interesterified fats in replacement formulas.

  Source

• 2004

  Introduce a zero-trans-fat shortening variantOther

  Background

  Growing concern about industrial trans fats created pressure for shortening manufacturers to change formulations and communicate nutrition benefits.

  Action taken

  Smucker introduced a Crisco shortening promoted as containing zero grams of trans fat per serving, using fully hydrogenated palm oil blended with liquid vegetable oils.

  Aftermath

  The product became a transitional step before the full shortening line was reformulated in 2007.

  Source

1. 1Criscoen.wikipedia.org
2. 2B&G Foods completes acquisition of Criscobgfoods.com
3. 3Crisco official websitecrisco.com