Posted on 12/18/2016 6:23:46 AM PST by billorites
Just in time for the holidays, an industrywide shortage of canned whipped topping, such as Reddi-wip, appears to be looming after a fatal explosion at a Florida nitrous oxide plant in late August stunted the supply chain.
Conagra Brands, the Chicago-based food manufacturer that makes Reddi-wip, confirmed Monday that its supply of nitrous oxide — a propellant for aerosol toppings — was affected by the blast. Spokeswoman Lanie Friedman said stores still have the product in stock, but supplies may be limited in the peak holiday season, when consumers are indulging in pies, hot chocolate and other desserts that call for whipped cream.
"It's in stores now, but we're encouraging people to buy it early," Friedman said. "There will be a shortage if people buy at the typical levels during the holidays."
Whipped cream purists would suggest simply making your own, but the canned aerosol products, introduced in the 1940s, still do a brisk business in the U.S.
Reddi-wip is the leading aerosol whipped topping, according to sales data from IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. In the 12-month period ending Nov. 27, sales exceeded $278 million, which represented an increase of almost 9 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the IRI retail sales figures, which do not include Costco.
Friedman stressed the shortage isn't Conagra's problem alone, but extends to all food products that use nitrous oxide. That would include the spray-can versions of Cool Whip, made by Kraft Heinz, which is headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen declined to comment.
The explosion at the Airgas-owned Nitrous Oxide Corp. facility in Cantonment, Fla., had far more dire consequences than a whipped cream shortage. One Airgas employee was killed in the blast. A company investigation into the cause of the accident...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Wip damn it! It’s wip! Funny episode that one!
Yep, that’s it. I hadn’t really thought of gasses as being more or less water versus fat soluble but that makes total sense. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out how to steer the Christmas dinner conversation towards canned whipped toppings so I can dazzle everyone with my new insights!
Helium is recovered from certain natural gas wells by stripping it of through refining.
Yes, I have read they closed the Helium plant in Amarillo. Not sure there is zero production, but it is less available than it was. And a lot more expensive.
Always make my own w/ those exact ingredients. Easier & a million times better than canned.
The only thing better than whipping the cream yourself, is taking the cream off the top of the milk that you got from your cow, and whipping it up! I don’t have a cow to milk anymore, but I do have a local dairy where you can get fresh milk with the cream still on the top. Best whipped cream ever.
Beat me to it.
Zip it, zip it good.
As a girl, I noticed no effect. There was some cool trumpet playing, though. :-)
I’ve bought one can of that stuff and that was 35 years ago so not worried about a shortage. I’ll make my own.
Dream Whip. Still available.
Great line from Five Easy Pieces: “French fries are a frozen food.”
Home-made whipped cream tastes better ... a pint of heavy cream, a teaspoon of sugar and a few minutes with a mixer.
In the olden days all pressurized whipped cream smelled and tasted like coconut oil. We made our own with fresh cream and sugar.
Then one day I made some and ended up with very sweet butter.
Orange you glad I did!?!
Cheez! I was getting worried there, for a minute.
LOL. I would recommend drinking a little less coffee Daffy..
Heh. Where’s your Christmas spirit. :)
We have much to be grateful for this month; the Christ Child; PTSD [see tagline]; Reddi-Whip; Cheez in a can. :)
Merry Christmas darling FRiend.
Merry Christmas!
I like the real thing.
And I put a couple drops of orange extract in along with the vanilla.
Wakes up the flavor.
I’ll try that orange extract sometime. Thanks.
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