Philadelphia Cream Cheese facts for kids
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| Owner | Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International |
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| Introduced | 1872 |
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Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a very popular American brand of cream cheese. It's one of the most famous cream cheese brands around the world. This tasty cheese was first made in 1872. Today, it is owned by two big companies: Kraft Heinz and Mondelez International.
How Philadelphia Cream Cheese Started
Despite its name, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was actually invented in New York State. It was not made in Philadelphia. In 1872, a dairyman named William Lawrence lived in Chester, New York. He was trying to make a different kind of cheese called Neufchâtel. This was a soft, crumbly cheese popular in Europe.
But William Lawrence made a mistake! He accidentally added too much cream. This created a much richer and smoother cheese. It was also easier to spread. This new cheese eventually became known as "cream cheese."
It wasn't called "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" until 1880. That year, Lawrence teamed up with A.L. Reynolds. Reynolds was a cheese seller in New York. They wanted to sell more of this new cream cheese. At that time, Philadelphia was known for its excellent dairy farms. People thought cheese from Philadelphia was very creamy and high-quality. So, they decided to use the name "Philadelphia" on their foil-wrapped blocks of cream cheese.
Over the years, the company changed hands. The special "Philadelphia" name was sold to the Phenix Cheese Company. This company was located in South Edmeston, New York. In 1928, Phenix joined with Kraft. They formed a new company called Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company. Philadelphia Cream Cheese has remained a favorite product ever since. You can find it in many homes, restaurants, and bagel shops worldwide.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Around the World
Philadelphia Cream Cheese is not just popular in the United States. It is the most popular cream cheese brand all over the world.
In 2019, an advertisement for Philadelphia Cream Cheese was shown in Britain. It showed a father who seemed a bit forgetful. This ad was banned under a new rule in Britain. The rule stopped TV ads from showing gender stereotypes.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese also became a sponsor for Serie A. This is a major football (soccer) league in Italy. They sponsored the league for the 2023–2024 season. In December 2024, they decided to continue their sponsorship. They will support the league for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons too.
