Cool Whip

The current Cool Whip logo.

The current Cool Whip logo.

Cool Whip is a brand of imitation whipped cream named a whipped topping by its manufacturer. It is used in North America as a dessert topping and in some no-bake pie recipes. It was generally described as "non-dairy" as it contained no cream or milk and no lactose; however, it did contain the milk derivative casein. Recently, both skim milk and light cream have been added to Original Cool Whip, to make three milk items in the product. See Kraft Foods webpage listing the ingredients of Original Cool Whip: http://brands.kraftfoods.com/coolwhip/main.aspx?s=product&m=product/Product_display&Site=1&Product=4300000953.

Overview

Cool Whip was introduced in 1967 by the Birds Eye division of General Foods. Within two years of introduction, it became the largest and most profitable product in the Birds Eye line of products. Birds Eye later merged with Kraft Foods and Philip Morris, eventually becoming part of Altria Group.

Cool Whip technology was invented by William A. Mitchell, a food chemist at General Foods Corporation. The key to the technology was the creation of a whipped cream-like product that could be distributed in a frozen state by General Foods and grocery chains and kept in the refrigerator. This had never been done before and represented a major breakthrough in food preservation.

Cool Whip is manufactured in Avon, New York, for the United States and Canadian markets. It is sold in 8 oz. (226 g) and larger plastic tubs produced by Berry Plastics and is distributed through grocery outlets in a frozen state, and is refrigerated in the home prior to serving. Each nine gram serving provides 25 kcal (104650 J) of which 15 kcal (62790 J) are fat.

The varieties currently sold are Original, Extra Creamy, French Vanilla, Light, Reduced Fat, Free (fat-free), and Sugar-Free, made with Splenda. Strawberry is sold seasonally, typically in the summer. Chocolate has now been reintroduced as well. In Canada, the Fat-Free variety is labeled as Ultra-low Fat. In 2008, Cool Whip was introduced in an aerosol can so as to compete with Reddi-wip. French Vanilla has been discontinued and flavors can only be purchased in 5-6 oz bowls called Dips.

According to a Wired Magazine article, consumers are paying 41 cents per ounce for mostly water and air: twice the cost of homemade whipped cream.

Ingredients

Cool Whip Original is made of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60 (sorbitan monostearate), and beta carotene. In some markets, such as Canada and the United States, Cool Whip is available in an aerosol can using nitrous oxide as a propellant.

Cool Whip was formerly marketed as non-dairy, but in Jewish dietary traditions, Cool Whip was classified as dairy rather than parve (non-meat and non-dairy) because of the sodium caseinate (which is derived from milk). This ingredient also makes Cool Whip not vegan, so similar products for vegans, like MimicCreme, have been developed.

See also

• Non-dairy creamer, with similar ingredients
• Reddi-wip, whipped cream in an aerosol can
• Dream Whip
• Nutri-Whip

External links

• Official Web site
• Wired Magazine Article