Triscuit

Triscuit is a brand name of snack crackers which take the form of baked square whole wheat wafers. Invented in 1900, they were patented in 1902^[1] and the Shredded Wheat Company began production the next year^[2] in Niagara Falls, New York. The Niagara site was chosen due to its proximity to the Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant, the first major power plant in the United States, which opened in 1895.^[3]

Triscuit

Product type	Cracker
Owner	Mondelez International
Introduced	1903; 122 years ago (1903)
Previous owners	Nabisco (1928–2012) Shredded Wheat Co. (1903–1928)
Website	www.snackworks.com/brands/triscuit/

History

The Shredded Wheat Company began producing Triscuits in 1903 in Niagara Falls, New York.^[2] The name may have come from a combination of the words electricity and biscuit.^[4] An alternative theory holds that the tri refers to the cracker's three ingredients (wheat, oil, and salt),^[5][6] but this is disputed due to conflicting adverts and poor records.^[7] At least one early advertisement boasted that Triscuits were "baked by electricity", claiming they were "the only food on the market prepared by this 1903 process".^[8] Each cracker measured 2.25 by 4 inches (5.7 cm × 10.2 cm), and remained that size for nearly 21 years. The ovens were then altered and the cracker size changed to 2-inch (51 mm) squares.^[2]

In 1928, the Shredded Wheat Company was purchased by Nabisco.^[9]

Beginning in 1935, Triscuits were sprayed with oil and salted. In 1984, additional flavor choices were introduced and the crackers were made crispier.^[2]

Overview

1903 advertisement

Nutritional info

Nutritional value per around 6 crackers
Energy	502 kJ (120 kcal)
Carbohydrates	29 g
Sugars	0 g
Dietary fiber	3 g
Fat	3.5 g
Saturated	0 g
Trans	0 g
Monounsaturated	1 g
Polyunsaturated	2 g
Protein	3 g
Vitamins and minerals Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 1% 10 mg Iron 8% 1.4 mg Potassium 4% 116 mg Sodium 7% 160 mg
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[10] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies[11]

Triscuits are made from wheat, which is first cooked in water until it reaches about fifty percent moisture content, then tempered to allow the moisture to diffuse evenly in the grain. Slotted rollers form the grain into shredded wheat strands, which are then formed into webs. Several webs are stacked together and the still-moist stack is crimped to produce individual crackers. Oven baking then reduces the moisture content to five percent.^[2] The product is currently a 1.75-inch (4.4 cm) square.