{{Short description|American food scientist}}{{Infobox person | name = Sam Porcello | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date | 76 | 2012 | May | 12 | noage=yes}} | birth_place = Newark, New Jersey | death_date = 12 May 2012 | death_place = Toms River, New Jersey | occupation = Food scientist }}
'''Samuel J. Porcello''' ({{birth based on age as of date|76|2012|May|12|noage=yes}} – May 12, 2012<ref name="time" />) was an American food scientist who worked at Nabisco for 34 years.<ref name="time">{{cite news|first=Melissa|last=Locker|title=RIP, 'Mr.Oreo': Man Who Invented Oreo Filling Dies At 76 |url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/05/24/farewell-mr-oreo-man-who-invented-oreo-filling-dies-at-76/ |work=Time Magazine (Time NewsFeed) |date=2012-05-24 |access-date=2012-06-02}}</ref> He is particularly noted for his work on the modern Oreo cookie. Porcello held five patents directly related to the Oreo.<ref name="time" /> In particular, Porcello was the inventor of one version of the white Oreo cookie creme-filling.<ref name="time" /><ref name="mashable" /> 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.<ref name="mashable">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mashed.com/586171/the-untold-truth-of-mr-oreo-sam-porcello|title=The Untold Truth Of 'Mr. Oreo' Sam Porcello|website=Mashable|last=Clark|first=Molly|date=25 August 2021}}</ref> His work earned him the nickname, "Mr. Oreo."<ref name="time" /><ref name="nydn">{{cite news |last=Hinkley |first=David |date=16 July 2024 |title=Celebrating the life of 'Mr. Oreo' |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2012/05/20/man-who-developed-oreo-cookie-filling-dead-at-76-sam-j-porcello-was-known-at-nabisco-as-mr-oreo/ |access-date=2012-06-02 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref><ref name="sl">{{cite news|title=Sam J. Porcello Obituary |url=http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?n=sam-j-porcello&pid=157635826 |work=The Star-Ledger |date=2012-05-14 |access-date=2012-06-02}}</ref>
==Early life== Porcello was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey.<ref name=sl/> 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.<ref name=sl/> Porcello initially worked as a teacher for a short time during his early career.<ref name=nydn/> He then worked for the former Charms Candy Company, a candy manufacturer.<ref name=nydn/> He was nearly hired by a major cosmetics company, but his candidacy ended when the company learned that Porcello was color blind.<ref name=nydn/>
==Career== After his rejection by the cosmetics industry because he was color-blind, Porcello joined Nabisco.<ref name=nydn/> When he was hired, Nabisco promised that he could eventually earn a salary of up to $12,000 per year if he was successful.<ref name=nydn/> He began his Nabisco career at the company's plant in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.<ref name=sl/> He later worked at Nabisco's corporate headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey.<ref name=sl/>
Porcello joined Nabisco's research and development department, which develops new lines of snacks.<ref name=nydn/> He was considered one of the world's leading experts on cocoa, which is used to make chocolate.<ref name=time/><ref name=nydn/> He was given the title, "principal scientist," during his career at Nabisco.<ref name=time/> 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<ref name="mashable" />) for Oreos and Double Stuffed Oreos, which have extra filling.<ref name=time/>
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.<ref name=time/><ref name=nydn/> Porcello found the particular type of chocolate which he used for chocolate-covered Oreos while attending a food industry trade show in Europe.<ref name=nydn/>
Aside from his work with the Oreo, Porcello developed other Nabisco snack products, including SnackWells.<ref name=nydn/> His position required him to travel extensively in search of new potential products and ingredients.<ref name=nydn/> 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.<ref name=nydn/> Porcello was not a huge eater of Oreo cookies, preferring to eat the cookie without dunking it in milk.<ref name="nydn" />
==Later life== Porcello left the company as its principal food scientist in 1993 after 34 years.<ref name=nydn/><ref name=sl/> Additionally, he was a longtime volunteer with ACDI/VOCA, for which he helped create a food and program and company in Thailand.<ref name=sl/> Sam Porcello died May 12, 2012, at the age of 76.<ref name="sl" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porcello, Sam}} Category:1935 births Category:2012 deaths Category:American food scientists Category:Nabisco Category:People from Toms River, New Jersey Category:Scientists from Newark, New Jersey Category:People from Wayne, New Jersey