Polly-O

{{Short description|American cheese brand}} {{infobox brand | name = Polly-O | logo = Polly o food logo.png | logo_size = 150 | type = Cheese products | currentowner = BelGioioso Cheese | origin = United States | introduced = {{start date and age|1899}} | discontinued = | related = | markets = Worldwide | previousowners = Giuseppe Pollio <br> Kraft Foods Inc. <br> Kraft Heinz | trademarkregistrations = | ambassador = | tagline = | website = {{URL|https://www.polly-ofoodservice.com/|polly-ofoodservice.com}} }} '''Polly-O''' is an American brand of cheese products, currently owned by BelGioioso Cheese Inc. The original Polly-O manufacturing company had been established in 1899, operating independently until it was acquired by Kraft Foods Inc. in 1986. Kraft owned it until 2020, when it sold its natural cheese division to Groupe Lactalis.<ref name="wsj_Q114685966">{{Cite Q|Q114685966|access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=September 15, 2020|title=Kraft Heinz to sell part of cheese business for $3.2 Billion|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/kraft-heinz-to-sell-part-of-cheese-business-for-3-2-billion|access-date=September 16, 2020|website=The Wall Street Journal|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2021, Groupe Lactalis entered into a purchase agreement to sell Polly-O to Belgioioso Cheese, to comply with a US Department of Justice's antitrust review of Lactalis's purchase from Kraft Heinz.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bartz |first1=Diane |title=U.S. allows Lactalis to buy Kraft's U.S. natural cheese business, with conditions |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/us-allows-lactalis-buy-krafts-us-natural-cheese-business-with-conditions-2021-11-10/ |access-date=November 16, 2021 |work=Reuters |date=November 10, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cheese |first1=BelGioioso |title=BelGioioso Cheese Completes Polly-O Acquisition |url=https://www.perishablenews.com/dairy/belgioioso-cheese-completes-polly-o-acquisition/ |access-date=December 11, 2021 |work=Perishable News |date=December 3, 2021}}</ref>

== Overview == thumb|left|200px|Pollio Latticini Store, Brooklyn, New York, 1899 Polly-O was started by Giuseppe Pollio in Brooklyn in 1899 and bought by Kraft Foods in 1986. Pollio brought his family's traditional cheese-making Italian traditions to America with him. About 100 years ago when Pollio first came to America, he went to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York and set up his ricotta and mozzarella kettles on the beach after coming through Ellis Island. The Pollio company changed its name to Polly-O in the 1940s due to the original name's similarity to the polio epidemic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polly-ofoodservice.com/our-story |title=Polly-O Cheese History of Handcrafting |publisher=Churny Company |access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref>

Polly-O cheese is sold in many US grocery chain stores and is well known for its ricotta, mozzarella, and string cheeses. Most Polly-O cheese is manufactured in Campbell, New York. Polly-O is one of the largest producers of Italian cheeses. This company produces almost one hundred million pounds of cheese each year.<ref name="Kraft Brands">{{cite web|title=Polly-O|url=http://www.kraftbrands.com/pollyo/|publisher=Kraft Brands|accessdate=15 March 2013}}</ref> Huffington Post calls the company's string cheese line "a work of art".<ref>Kate Bratskeir. "[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/string-cheese-best-worst-and-wonderful_n_6109062.html We Tested 11 String Cheeses And Separated The Winners From The Losers]". ''Huffington Post'', November 6, 2014.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website}} * [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/08/nyregion/q-a-mark-pettie-keeping-alive-100-years-of-cheese-making.html ''New York Times'' interview with Polly-O vice president Mark Pettie], March 8, 1998

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1899 Category:Snack food manufacturers of the United States Category:1899 establishments in New York City Category:American companies established in 1899