Polly-O facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Cheese products |
|---|---|
| Owner | BelGioioso Cheese |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1899 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Giuseppe Pollio Kraft Foods Inc. Kraft Heinz |
Polly-O is a well-known American brand that makes delicious cheese products. It is currently owned by a company called BelGioioso Cheese Inc.. The Polly-O company started way back in 1899. It made cheese on its own for many years.
In 1986, a bigger company called Kraft Foods Inc. bought Polly-O. Kraft owned the brand until 2020. Then, Kraft sold its natural cheese business to another company, Groupe Lactalis. In 2021, Groupe Lactalis agreed to sell Polly-O to BelGioioso. This sale happened because the US government wanted to make sure there was fair competition in the cheese market.
About Polly-O Cheese
Polly-O was started by a man named Giuseppe Pollio in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899. He brought his family's traditional Italian cheese-making skills to America. When he first arrived, he even set up his cheese kettles on the beach in Coney Island!
The company's original name was Pollio. However, in the 1940s, they changed it to Polly-O. This was done because the original name sounded too much like "polio," a serious illness at the time.
Where Polly-O Cheese is Made
Polly-O cheese is sold in many grocery stores across the United States. It is especially famous for its ricotta, mozzarella, and string cheeses. Most Polly-O cheese is made in Campbell, New York.
Polly-O is one of the biggest makers of Italian cheeses. The company produces nearly one hundred million pounds of cheese every year. Some people even call their string cheese "a work of art"!
External Links
- New York Times interview with Polly-O vice president Mark Pettie, March 8, 1998
