Wesson cooking oil
Encyclopedia
Wesson cooking oil is a brand of vegetable oil manufactured in Memphis, Tennessee
and sold by ConAgra Foods
. Historically, Wesson was cottonseed oil
, but as of 2009 the products currently sold under the Wesson brand are oil mixtures that may include canola oil, corn oil
, soybean oil
or sunflower oil
.
Wesson was originally a trademark of the Southern Oil Company, named after David Wesson (1861–1934), a food chemist at the firm who, in 1899 developed a novel process for deodorizing cottonseed oil, producing the first commercial all-vegetable shortening
s from cottonseeds. This new product was marketed as Snowdrift. In the 1920s, the vegetable oil division was spun off as the Wesson Oil & Snowdrift Company. This firm merged with Hunt's Foods, Inc. to become Hunt-Wesson Foods, later merged with Norton Simon
and later merged with Beatrice Foods
. The brand was sold to ConAgra along with many other former Beatrice brands in 1990.
The longtime spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil was actress Florence Henderson
, Although she sang the jingle, the word "Wessonality" was actually coined by a copywriter named Mark Itkowitz at BBDO New York in 1976. His initial concept was to use the Sam Cooke version of the song "Personality". It was Jim Jordan, who was BBDO's Creative Director who suggested using the version by Johnny Mercer
as the basis for the campaign. Florence Henderson would appear in television commercials for Wesson from 1976 until 1996.
Pyrex glass and Wesson oil have the same index of refraction. Thus, a small test tube filled with oil set into a larger container of oil will "disappear".
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and sold by ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc. is an American packaged foods company. ConAgra's products are available in supermarkets, as well as restaurants and food service establishments. Its headquarters are located in Omaha, Nebraska...
. Historically, Wesson was cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is a cooking oil extracted from the seeds of cotton plant of various species, mainly Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium herbaceum...
, but as of 2009 the products currently sold under the Wesson brand are oil mixtures that may include canola oil, corn oil
Corn oil
Corn oil is oil extracted from the germ of corn . Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. One bushel of corn...
, soybean oil
Soybean oil
Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean . It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. As a drying oil, processed soybean oil is also used as a base for printing inks and oil paints...
or sunflower oil
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
.
Wesson was originally a trademark of the Southern Oil Company, named after David Wesson (1861–1934), a food chemist at the firm who, in 1899 developed a novel process for deodorizing cottonseed oil, producing the first commercial all-vegetable shortening
Shortening
Shortening is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry. The reason it is called shortening is because it prevents cross-linkage between gluten molecules. Cross linking is what causes doughs to be sticky. Seeing as cake is not meant to be sticky, shortening is used...
s from cottonseeds. This new product was marketed as Snowdrift. In the 1920s, the vegetable oil division was spun off as the Wesson Oil & Snowdrift Company. This firm merged with Hunt's Foods, Inc. to become Hunt-Wesson Foods, later merged with Norton Simon
Norton Simon
Norton Winfred Simon , in the United States was a millionaire industrialist and philanthropist based in California. A significant art collector, he is the namesake of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.-Early life:...
and later merged with Beatrice Foods
Beatrice Foods
Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company. In 1987, its smaller international food operations were sold to Reginald Lewis, a corporate attorney creating TLC Beatrice International, after which the majority of its domestic brands and assets were acquired by Kohlberg,...
. The brand was sold to ConAgra along with many other former Beatrice brands in 1990.
The longtime spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil was actress Florence Henderson
Florence Henderson
Florence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
, Although she sang the jingle, the word "Wessonality" was actually coined by a copywriter named Mark Itkowitz at BBDO New York in 1976. His initial concept was to use the Sam Cooke version of the song "Personality". It was Jim Jordan, who was BBDO's Creative Director who suggested using the version by Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
as the basis for the campaign. Florence Henderson would appear in television commercials for Wesson from 1976 until 1996.
Pyrex glass and Wesson oil have the same index of refraction. Thus, a small test tube filled with oil set into a larger container of oil will "disappear".
Lawsuit
In July 2011, two lawsuits were brought against ConAgra in relation to labelling of the Wesson product, alleging that the company "engaged in this misleading and deceptive campaign to charge a premium and take away market share from other similar products".Trivia
- The Wesson logo was created by Saul BassSaul BassSaul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
in 1964 - The Savannah Georgia Factory was erected in 1911 and torn down in 2004
External links
- Wesson Oil - brand page at ConAgra website