For 140 Years, Quaker Has Been A Company Of Firsts

You might know Quaker oats as your favorite breakfast or the key ingredient to your preferred dessert. But while Quaker is usually associated with the first meal of the day (or the first cookie after dinner), the company actually boasts plenty of firsts in its 140-year history.

Recipe For Success

Whether it's on the back of an oatmeal canister, a cereal box, or a bag of chocolate chips, recipes on product packaging have become standard fare at the grocery store. But the first ever recipe on a food package actually appeared in 1886, on a Quaker oats package. The recipe was for oatmeal bread, something they have continued to reimagine and update over years. You know what they say, if it ain't broke...

Related: Surprising Uses For Oats

Heart and Science

Another apparent staple on food packaging? Health claims. But the practice of labeling foods with health claims is a relatively new one. In 1994, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first series of claims about the relationships between nutrients and certain diseases. But it wasn't until 1997, thanks to Quaker, that the FDA first approved a health claim for a specific food: oatmeal. Quaker presented the FDA with enough scientific evidence about the cholesterol-lowering benefits of oats to persuade them to authorize the claim, which read: "Soluble fiber from oatmeal as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, may reduce the risk of heart disease." Twenty years later, Quaker is still able to promote many of its products as heart healthy.

Recipe: Oatmeal Bread

Try the bread inspired by Quaker's 1886 recipe.

Ingredients

5-3/4 to 6-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/4 Cup(s) granulated sugar
Two 1/4-ounce packages (about 4-1/2 teaspoons) quick-rising yeast
2-1/2 Teaspoon(s) Salt
1-1/2 Cup(s) Water
1-1/4 Cup(s) Low-fat milk
4 Tablespoon(s) (1/2 stick) margarine or butter

Cooking Instructions

In large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, oats, sugar, yeast and salt; mix well. In small saucepan, heat water, milk and margarine until very warm (120ºF to 130ºF). Add to flour mixture. Blend on low speed of electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed; beat 3 minutes. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into ball; place in greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch down dough. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough in half; shape to form loaves. Place in two greased 8 x 4 or 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in warm place 15 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until dark golden brown. Remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Cook note: If desired, brush tops of loaves lightly with melted margarine or butter and sprinkle with additional oats after placing in pans.