Crisco
1607674
224520401
2008-07-09T06:04:35Z
71.129.68.214
/* Non-cooking usages */
[[Image:Crisco logo.png|frame|right]]
[[Image:Crisco Cookbook 1912.jpg|thumb|right|215px|Cover of original Crisco cookbook, 1912]]
'''Crisco''', a popular brand of [[shortening]], was first produced in 1911 by [[Procter & Gamble]] and was the first shortening to be made entirely of [[vegetable oil]]. As such, Crisco is [[kosher]] and may be considered appropriate for [[vegan]] diets as it contains no animal products.
When [[William Procter (candlemaker)|William Procter]] and [[James Gamble]] started the company Procter & Gamble, they hired [[chemist]] [[Edwin C. Kayser]] and developed the process to [[hydrogenate]] [[cottonseed oil]], which ensures the [[shortening]] remains solid at normal storage temperatures. The initial purpose was to create a cheaper substance to make [[candle]]s than the expensive [[animal fat]]s in use at the time. Electricity began to diminish the candle market, and since the product looked like [[lard]], they began selling it as a food. This product became known as Crisco, with the name deriving from the initial sounds of the expression "crystallized cottonseed oil".
Further success came from the marketing technique of giving away free cookbooks, with every recipe calling for Crisco. Crisco vegetable oil was introduced in 1960. In 1976, Procter & Gamble introduced Puritan Oil, an oil made with [[sunflower oil]], which was touted as a lower [[cholesterol]] alternative. In 1988, Puritan Oil became 100% [[canola oil]].
[[Procter & Gamble]] [[Divestment|divested]] the Crisco (oil and shortening) brand (along with [[Jif (peanut butter)|Jif peanut butter]]) in a [[Spin out|spinoff]] to their [[stockholder]]s, followed by an immediate [[merger]] with [[The J. M. Smucker Co.]] in 2002. [http://www.smuckers.com/fc/newsroom/archive/jcris02.asp?]
==Changes in fat content==
In April 2004, Smucker introduced "Crisco Zero Grams [[trans fat|Trans Fat]] Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening," which contained fully hydrogenated palm oil blended with liquid vegetable oils to yield a shortening much like the original Crisco. As of [[January 24]], [[2007]], all Crisco shortening products have been reformulated to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving. The separately marketed trans-fat free version introduced in 2004 was discontinued. [http://crisco.com/about/shortening_0gramstransfat_faq.asp] Crisco now consists of a blend of [[soybean oil]], fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils. According to the product information label, one 12g serving of Crisco contains 3g of saturated fat, 0g of trans fat, 6g of polyunsaturated fat, and 2.5g of monounsaturated fat. [http://crisco.com/about/prod_info.asp?groupID=17&catId=63&FlavorId=229] It is claimed that this reformulated Crisco has the same cooking properties and flavor as the original version of the product.
According to the [http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html#s3q3 FDA website], "Food manufacturers are allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 0.5 gram (1/2 g) as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel." (Mathematically, this simply complies with the rules for "[[Rounding#Common method|rounding]] to the nearest [[integer]].")
==Controversy==
Many nutritionists are already warning that Crisco's formula change may be little more than a marketing move. They argue that [[Hydrogenated oil|fully hydrogenated oil]] may not be any healthier than trans-fat containing partially hydrogenated oil. [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=seenon&id=4972333] Fully hydrogenated oil contains another artificial fat known as [[interesterified fat]]. A recent study showed that [[interesterified fat]] increased volunteers' [[blood sugar]] by 20 percent while simultaneously lowering the body's "good" [[HDL cholesterol]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070124/hl_nm/trans_fat_dc_1] The rise in blood sugar is problematic since it increases the chance of developing [[type 2 diabetes]], already a growing problem in the US.
==Non-cooking usages==
Crisco has properties that allow for many uses beyond its currently marketed purpose of cooking.
As a household utility product it has many alternative uses, including:
*Removal of tar and lipstick from clothing.
*Removal of ink, grease and dirt from surfaces and hands.
*Revitalizing the surfaces of wooden utensils such as bowls and cutting boards.
*Shedding water and snow from weather gear such as galoshes and snow shovels.
*Preventing diaper rash.
*As a makeup base.
*As a hair grease.
In addition to wood utensils, Crisco can be used for seasoning [[Cast iron cookware]].[http://www.panman.com/cleaning.html]
Historical battle re-enactors sometimes use Crisco as a lubricating agent for [[musket]] balls, to retard the effects of black powder residue. [http://www.civilwarguns.com/9110b.html]
As a [[personal lubricant#sexual intercourse|sexual lubricant]], it has been popular for some 40 years, as it is long-lasting, cheap, and does not exude a strong odor. However, as with other oil-based lubricants such as [[Vaseline]], it can degrade [[latex]] and is unsuitable for use with latex [[condom]]s.<ref>[http://www.managingcontraception.com/cmanager/publish/ch-condoms.shtml Managing Contraception: Choices: Disadvantages: Oil Based Lubricants]</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070625182753/http://www.avi.org/men/book/view/123 AVI |<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
* [http://www.crisco.com/ Crisco's homepage]
* [http://www.crisco.com/about/history/index.asp Crisco timeline]
* [http://www.crisco.com/about/0_grams.asp Crisco Zero Grams Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening]
* [http://www.crisco.com/whatsnew/0_grams_0304.htm Press release: ''Crisco Introduces Zero Grams Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening'']
* [http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/transfats.html Harvard School of Public Health's webpage on Trans-fat]
[[Category:Cooking fats]]
[[Category:Former Procter & Gamble brands]]
[[Category:J.M. Smucker brands]]
[[Category:1911 introductions]]
[[de:Crisco]]