Oh no ... now outsourcing has mucked up Oreos

Oreo Fans Face Cookie Crisis
by Colin Madine3 May 201756


The New York Post featured a column last week by Lauren Tousignant about a worrying trend for Oreo aficionados. It seems increasing numbers of Americans are finding their favorite sandwich cookies have changed, now tasting “chalky,” “cheap,” or “weird.”

Tousignant’s article is titled “Did Nabisco Ruin America’s Favorite Cookie?” But that headline is a bit misleading. Oreo and Nabisco are now both brands of Mondelez International. Most people have trouble pronouncing Mondelez’ name, let alone keeping track of their many brands. Oreo is a huge business for Mondelez; they made $2 billion dollars in 2016 producing more than 40 billion cookies. Would they really mess with success?

The company says no. In a statement to Breitbart News, Mondelez International said, “Oreo cookies which are made for sale in the US have the same recipe and taste profile, regardless of which manufacturing plant they are made at within our supply chain network. In addition, all of our manufacturing sites are held to the same high standards for safety and quality.”

Writing in the Post, Tousignant did a good job of documenting the problem. She gathered anecdotal evidence from family and friends, and also studied consumer complaint forums, which there is no shortage of on the Internet. She found a “significant increase” in complaints starting in November of 2016.

She also effectively laid out some of the reasons why food products may experience changes in flavor, both intentional and unintentional. These include the recipe change which Mondelez denied to both the Post and Breitbart News. As Tousignant points out in the Post, even a change in equipment used between old and new production plants can play a huge role in the flavor of the food they produce.

Readers that have kept up on the flow of American jobs to Mexico will note the fact that Mondelez moved a portion of their Oreo production from Chicago to Mexico. Oreos were made in Chicago for 60 years, would the move from that old of a production plant to a new Mexican facility be the exact type of equipment change Tousignant describes? Some customers boycotted Oreos over the Mexico move, but that was primarily over the lost jobs. Who knew that a few short years later Mondelez might be in a position to lose customers due to their product quality?

Mondelez, like many companies that produce products in Mexico, is quick to say the quality is the same. Their statement even says they have the same “taste profile.” But for many Americans, experience and common sense dictate that this just isn’t true. Some companies are even willing to admit there is a difference in product quality — Fender offers Stratocaster guitars made in Mexico at a much lower price than their made in America product line — recognizing a difference in quality and materials. Whether we are talking cars, guitars or cookies, sending production south of the border is bound to effect the product in some way no matter how good the company’s Mexican facility is.

Some psychologists quoted in the article take another angle, suggesting differences between people’s taste buds result in Oreos tasting differently. That explanation doesn’t hold water, or milk if you’re an Oreo dunker. It’s like telling someone “you’re tasting it wrong,” in a food equivalent to Apple CEO Steve Jobs infamously replying to a customer with iPhone reception problems “you’re holding it wrong.”

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Another option that many people aren’t aware of is the return of Hydrox, which bills itself as “the original creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie.” Hydrox disappeared from the market in 1999, but has been brought back by a company called Leaf Brands. Leaf Brands cleverly uses retro packaging to appeal to customer’s nostalgia, but also has made some smart marketing decisions for today’s customers. According to their website, Hydrox are made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, and do not use hydrogenated oils. If you need a cookie fix and your Oreos “taste like dirt” as some told the Post, it may be time to try Hydrox.

Of course, some people who don’t like Oreos are gleefully enjoying the pain of Oreo-lovers finding their milk-dunked treat isn’t the same anymore. They shouldn’t be quick to judge — they should instead remember that Mondelez owns a dizzying array from brands ranging from Hall’s cough drops to Fig Newtons. Everyone in America eats something that Mondelez produces — except for a few diet freaks I know — so don’t be quick to mock the Oreos fans.

http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/05/03...-cookie-crisis/

Quote: Cincinnatus wrote in post #2

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Walmart sells a cookie that is cheaper than and taste much the same as Oreo: Great Value Twist & Shout Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, 15.5 oz

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-T...5.5-oz/22027005

Whenever I get an Oreo craving, which is about every 6 months, that is what I buy; though in the past I did purchase Hydrox which are also ok.

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"poor baby"

I know. I need to find me a safe room with teddy bears, blankies, and rice cakes.

Better yet outlaw chocolate and ban the very mention of it as a hate crime so I won't feel bad