WHAT'S IN MILANOS?
MILANO COOKIES — NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE
Information updated August 2023
Milano Cookies are manufactured by Pepperidge Farm which is owned by the Campbell Soup Company.
Once upon a time in the 1930’s, the Pepperidge Farm Brand was created by Mrs. Margaret Rudkin whose son suffered from allergies. Hence, a commitment to pure ingredients was the cornerstone of her business. Her Pepperidge Farm cookies were based on recipes she personally accepted from the Court Baker to the Royal House of Belgium. (Sources: Historical Pepperidge Farm Cookies Print Ad and Pepperidge Farm Web site 8/23)
“Pepperidge Farm follows the Royal Baker’s instructions devoutly. To the last expensive ingredient. Pure butter. Rich, dark chocolate. The cookies are even baked in imported Belgian ovens.”
Source: Historical Pepperidge Farm Cookies Print Ad
Today, Pepperidge Farm is owned by the Campbell Soup Company.
Milano cookies — and all Pepperidge Farm cookies — no longer contain the Pure Butter which Founder Mrs. Rudkin was committed to using. (Source for ingredients: Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm Web site 8/23)
The Founder’s commitment to “following the Royal Baker’s instructions devoutly” has been abandoned.
Chocolate Milanos — seen below — contain Palm Oil and/or Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin and Natural Flavor. These are all commercial ingredients which are Not In Kitchen™ when we make homemade cookies from scratch. These cookies are banned at Whole Foods for containing Hydrogenated Soybean Oil. (Source: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 8/23)
When you see ‘and/or’ in an ingredient label, the manufacturer is using whichever oil is cheapest at the time of purchase OR whichever oil is ideal for it and other products made in the same plant.
When privately owned, Pepperidge Farm shunned the use of Artificial Colorings, Flavorings and Preservatives and were made “devoutly . . . to the last expensive ingredient”. (Source: Historical Pepperidge Farm Cookie Print Ad)
Today, Pepperidge Farm cookies contain no real Butter (as their founder intended) and many Pepperidge Farm products contain FDA-recognized Preservatives, Commercial Sweeteners such as Fructose, Invert Sugar and Corn Syrup Solids, Emulsifying Agents, multiple Artificial Colors and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil.
.Although Pepperidge Farm once shunned the use of ingredients like Preservatives . . . Citric Acid is an FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative. (Source: U.S. FDA 2023)
Manufactured Citric Acid is not from Citrus >> unless it specifically states “Naturally-occurring” Citric Acid which is made from real Citrus.
MISLEADING MESSAGES: Following are three examples of Misleading Milano package graphics and messages which appeared on Twitter which communicate the inclusion of certain ingredients which are not present.
COCONUT FLAVORED MILANO COOKIES: Coconut flavored Milano Cookies do not list real Coconut in the ingredients . . . even though the package shows real Coconut and the Milano Twitter feed shows an image with multiple pieces of real Coconuts. These Milanos are also banned at Whole Foods for Hydrogenated Soybean Oil.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT COOKIE COMPARISON: Here’s a comparison of Pepperidge Farm Coconut flavored Milano Cookies vs. Emmy’s Organics Coconut Cookies Dark Cacao with Organic Fair-Trade Cacao which are Certified USDA Organic, Certified Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Project Verified and Closest To Homemade® >> these cookies contain only ingredients we would use in our home kitchens. (Source: Grupo Bimbo Emmy’s Organics Web site 8/23)
Organic Coconut is the #1 ingredient in Emmy’s Organics Coconut Cookies.
On their Web site, Pepperidge Farm states, “Pepperidge Farm has changed a great deal, but one thing has never changed, our commitment to quality. It’s a tradition that began with our entrepreneurial founder, and proudly continues to this day.”
ORANGE FLAVORED MILANO COOKIES DO NOT LIST REAL ORANGES AS AN INGREDIENT: Orange Flavored Milano Cookies contain just the flavor of Oranges . . . even though the package shows a real Orange Peel and the Milano Twitter feed shows an image with multiple slices of real Oranges.
Q: How can the smart people at Pepperidge Farm believe that changing the recipes which Mrs. Rudkin followed devoutly and using ingredients such as Artificial Colors and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil instead of real Butter NOT represent a change in the company’s commitment to her standard of quality?
Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm states, “WE ARE BAKERS” and they are ”committed to quality” . . . but Pepperidge Farm Strawberry Flavored Milano Cookies have no real Butter and no real Strawberries listed in the ingredients . . . just the flavor of Strawberry with Beet Juice Concentrate and Annatto Extract to imitate the color of real Strawberries.
Despite the fact there are no real Strawberries listed in these Milano Cookies’ ingredients, a real Strawberry is pictured on the package front and the Twitter image states, “Feed yourself strawberries and chocolate”.
Q: What would the Founder, Mrs. Rudkin, say to the following? Do you think she would believe Pepperidge Farm is staying true to her values?
Source: Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm Web site 8/23
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In our stroll down memory lane, we can see the real commitment Pepperidge Farm originally had to using only real ingredients:
Pepperidge Farm founder, Mrs. Margaret Rudkin, would proudly stand in front of itemized ingredients which were only of the highest quality.
