Duncan Hines Pareve Decision Puts Focus on Pareve Cake Mixes

(New York) The news that Duncan Hines had reversed its 2005 decision to make its cake mixes dairy was seen as a victory for consumers clamoring for the pareve cake mixes. It also put a new focus on a category that retailers say has emerged as trendy new kosher product. Some consumers could hardly contain their excitement that they could once again have the Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow - the best selling cake mix in the country - and other consumer favorites such as Devil’s Food, Lemon Supreme and Butter Recipe Golden. According to the Orthodox Union, which certifies Duncan Hines, pareve production began in September and Duncan Hines has begun shipping product to stores. It should be in most locations by November and December, the company says. “We are very excited to again offer Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mixes as non-dairy pareve products,” declared Chief Executive Officer Jeff Ansell. “We are now able to ensure that our production facilities can produce dairy-free product with certainty. This is based on moving our dairy-based cakes to another production facility. We made this shift in production because we wanted to once again offer our long-time and valued pareve consumers non-dairy cake mixes. It was a difficult decision last year to change away from pareve. We heard both from consumers and trade customers and that is why we worked hard to make the move back to pareve,” said Ansell. “Successful companies make smart decisions, even if it means reversing a previous decision,” declared Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher.

When Duncan Hines decided to go dairy, the void was immediately filled by the R.A.B. Food Group, under its Manischewitz brand. Retailers say that the Manischewitz cake mixes have become a “best seller.” R.A.B.’s Vice President of Marketing David Rossi credits the Manischewitz success to the Duncan Hines decision. “Duncan Hines has noticed the success that we’ve had with our pareve line of cake mixes, and they want to win back their popularity,” said Mr. Rossi. He believes that Duncan Hines saw “a drop in sales since switching to dairy and probably regretted that decision.” The OU certified Manischewitz is producing the first ever “Ready to Spread Pareve Cake Frosting.” The growing pareve cake mix market recently added yet another newcomer, Brooklyn-based Willmark’s ‘Just Add Water’ Pareve Cake Mixes. Available in convenient 24oz. packaging, these fully prepared, ‘just add water’ mixes, are available in Chocolate Cake, Yellow Cake, White Cake, and Brownie. Willmark has been supplying commercial and retail bakeries all over the USA for over 50 years. Willmark’s dual Kosher certification includes Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Beck of Flatbush, NY and the nationally known Kof-K Kosher Supervision. Retailers say that a growing cadre of younger kosher consumers are using the cake mix products as a way of “doing home quality gourmet baking.”

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