Newtons (cookie)

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Two Newtons showing fig filling

Newtons are a Nabisco trademarked version of the fig roll, a pastry filled with fig paste. Their distinctive shape is a characteristic that has been adopted by many competitors including generic fig bars sold in many markets. They are produced by an extrusion process.

Brand history

File:Fig-Newtons-Box-Small.jpg
A box of Fig Newtons

Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems,[1] and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were the ideal solution to this advice, although they remained a locally produced and handmade product. A Philadelphia baker and fig lover Charles Roser in 1891 invented and then patented a machine which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough.[2] Cambridgeport, Massachusetts–based Kennedy Biscuit Company purchased the Roser recipe[3] and started mass production. The first Fig Newtons were baked at the F. A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891.[4] The product was named "Newton" after the city of Newton, Massachusetts.[5][6]

The Kennedy Biscuit Company had recently become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and after the companies' merger to form Nabisco, the fig rolls were trademarked as "Fig Newtons."[7]

Varieties

As of 2012, in addition to the original fig filling, Nabisco also makes several varieties of the Newton, including apple cinnamon, strawberry, raspberry, and mixed berry.[8][9] The Fig Newton also is sold in a 100% whole-grain variety and a fat-free variety.[9] Fig Newton Minis have also been introduced.[9] The fig bar is the company's third best-selling product, with sales of more than a billion bars a year.[citation needed] In 2011, a crisp cookie, Newtons Fruit Thins, was introduced in the United States after being successfully marketed by Kraft in Canada as Lifestyle Selections, a variety of Peek Freans.[8]

Advertising

In the 1970s, Nabisco ran an advertising campaign for the Fig Newton. The commercials featured actor James (Jimmy) Harder dressed like a fig. At the conclusion of the song, he struck the "Fig Newton Pose", leaning forward and balancing on his left foot, with arms spread and right leg raised behind him.[10]

About $14.8 million were spent advertising Newtons in 2011. Advertisements are generally based on nostalgia and directed to baby boomers rather than children.[8]

Since 2012, the "Fig" has been dropped from the product name.[11]

References

  1. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/01/16/national-fig-newton-day/
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  7. A machine invented in 1891 made the mass production of Fig Newtons possible.
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External links