Samuel J. Porcello (1935 or 1936 – May 12, 2012[1]) was an American food scientist who worked at Nabisco for 34 years.[1] He is particularly noted for his work on the modern Oreo cookie. Porcello held five patents directly related to the Oreo.[1] In particular, Porcello was the inventor of one version of the white Oreo cookie creme-filling.[1][2] He was credited as the inventor of the current recipe in his obituary, but the recipe changed twice in 1997 and 2006 to become kosher and trans-fat-free, respectively.[2] His work earned him the nickname, "Mr. Oreo."[1][3][4]
Sam Porcello | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1935 or 1936 |
| Died | 12 May 2012 |
| Occupation | Food scientist |
Early life
editPorcello was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey.[4] He also lived in Wayne, New Jersey. He and his family moved to Toms River, New Jersey, in 1974, where he resided for the rest of his life.[4] Porcello initially worked as a teacher for a short time during his early career.[3] He then worked for the former Charms Candy Company, a candy manufacturer.[3] He was nearly hired by a major cosmetics company, but his candidacy ended when the company learned that Porcello was color blind.[3]
Career
editAfter his rejection by the cosmetics industry because he was color-blind, Porcello joined Nabisco.[3] When he was hired, Nabisco promised that he could eventually earn a salary of up to $12,000 per year if he was successful.[3] He began his Nabisco career at the company's plant in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.[4] He later worked at Nabisco's corporate headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey.[4]
Porcello joined Nabisco's research and development department, which develops new lines of snacks.[3] He was considered one of the world's leading experts on cocoa, which is used to make chocolate.[1][3] He was given the title, "principal scientist," during his career at Nabisco.[1] The Oreo cookie has been sold since 1912, but it was Porcello who invented the modern creme-filling (excluding the kosher and trans fat changes later on[2]) for Oreos and Double Stuffed Oreos, which have extra filling.[1]
In total, Porcello held five patents related to his work on the Oreo. He also developed a product line of Oreos enrobed in white chocolate and dark chocolate.[1][3] Porcello found the particular type of chocolate which he used for chocolate-covered Oreos while attending a food industry trade show in Europe.[3]
Aside from his work with the Oreo, Porcello developed other Nabisco snack products, including SnackWells.[3] His position required him to travel extensively in search of new potential products and ingredients.[3] According to his son, Curtis, Porcello often brought new snacks home with him to see how his family liked or disliked the potential new products.[3] Porcello was not a huge eater of Oreo cookies, preferring to eat the cookie without dunking it in milk.[3]
Later life
editPorcello left the company as its principal food scientist in 1993 after 34 years.[3][4] Additionally, he was a longtime volunteer with ACDI/VOCA, for which he helped create a food and program and company in Thailand.[4] Sam Porcello died May 12, 2012, at the age of 76.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Locker, Melissa (2012-05-24). "RIP, 'Mr.Oreo': Man Who Invented Oreo Filling Dies At 76". Time Magazine (Time NewsFeed). Retrieved 2012-06-02.
- ^ a b c Clark, Molly (25 August 2021). "The Untold Truth Of 'Mr. Oreo' Sam Porcello". Mashable.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Hinkley, David (16 July 2024). "Celebrating the life of 'Mr. Oreo'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Sam J. Porcello Obituary". The Star-Ledger. 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2012-06-02.