Skippy (peanut butter)

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Skippy
Product type Peanut butter
Owner Hormel
Country U.S.
Introduced 1933
Markets U.S.
Previous owners Unilever
Bestfoods
CPC International
Best Foods
Rosefield Packing Co.
Website www.peanutbutter.com

Skippy is a brand of peanut butter originating in the United States and owned by Hormel since 2013. It is the best-selling brand of peanut butter in China and second only to Jif worldwide.[1]

History

"Skippy" was first used as a trademark for peanut butter by the Rosefield Packing Co., Ltd., of Alameda, California, in 1933. Percy Crosby, creator of the "Skippy" comic strip, had the trademark invalidated in 1934, but Rosefield persisted. Its successor companies, most recently Unilever and Hormel, claim rights to the trademark over the objection of Crosby's heirs. There has been much litigation on this point over the decades, some of which has continued into the 2000s.[2]

Skippy comes in many different sizes, including a 4-pound (1.8 kg) jar, known as the "Family Jar". In late 2008, Skippy reduced their standard jar size from 18 ounces (510 g) to 16.3 ounces (460 g) by adding a "dimple" in the bottom of the jar while retaining the jar's height and diameter.[3]

Production

Skippy, the best-selling peanut butter in China, on the shelves of a Kai Bo Food Supermarket in Hong Kong.

Skippy has factories in Little Rock, Arkansas[4] and Shandong Province, China.[1]

Unilever, who owned the brand until 2013, stated that Skippy was not affected by the February 2007 salmonella outbreak that affected competing brands Peter Pan and Great Value.[5]

Advertising

Skippy has used several cartoon and celebrity spokespeople in its advertising, including Dennis the Menace, Annette Funicello and speed skater Bonnie Blair.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Isidore, Chris (January 3, 2013). "Spam maker buys Skippy peanut butter". CNN Money. CNN. Retrieved 2013-01-03. 
  2. ↑ Skippy.com website
  3. ↑ Hirsch, Jerry (2008-11-09). "On store shelves, stealthy shrinking of containers keeps prices from rising". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  4. ↑ "Success is peanuts for skippy facility: the sole packager of a Unilever flagship brand uses hard work and flexibility to adapt to new demands.". Food & Drug Packaging. May 2004. 
  5. ↑ "Skippy® Peanut Butter is not involved...". peanutbutter.com. Archived from the original on 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2013-01-03. "Skippy® Peanut Butter is not involved in the peanut butter recall currently in the news. As part of our normal production process, we have in place robust quality assurance and processing procedures to help ensure that salmonella is not present." 

External links

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