The secret behind Oreo’s novelty flavors
Classic Oreos are the best-selling cookies in the world, so why do its manufacturers keep introducing new flavors? According to The New York Times, each time a different, limited-edition variety was introduced during the past three years, sales of the original Oreos went up more 20 percent—that’s on top of the 12 percent bump novelty flavors experienced during that same period. But choosing which new taste combinations to release—there have been 65 global launches since 2012—is done by a top-secret team composed of food scientists, marketers, product developers and consulting chefs, and can take as long as two years. The resulting flavor profiles, everything from birthday cake, to jelly donut, to wasabi, tend to cause a buying frenzy, but even they are sometimes overshadowed by standard-flavored Oreos in different colors and packaging. Here’s our wish: a variety pack of Oreos’ best-tasting novelty cookies from around the world. But until then, we’ll still gladly settle for the original (and vegan) variety.
