Ovson Egg
| Company type | Subsidiary (after 1929) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder | Morris Ovson, H. J. Keith, C. J. Bowman, W. F. Priebe |
| Fate | Integrated into Kraft Foods (1952) |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | United States, Asia |
Key people | Morris Ovson, Leo Ovson |
| Products | Frozen, canned, and dried egg products |
| Parent | National Dairy Products Corporation (from 1929), Kraft Foods (from 1952) |
Ovson Egg was a U.S.-based food processing firm established in 1919, specializing in the production of frozen, canned, and dried egg products. These were supplied to manufacturers producing items such as cookies, cakes, custards, egg noodles, beverages, ice cream, macaroni, mayonnaise, salad dressings, and puddings. In 1929, the National Dairy Products Corporation became the principal shareholder, and by 1952, the company was integrated into Kraft Foods.
Founding
The practice of egg breaking and freezing commenced in the United States during the 1890s in Minneapolis, Minnesota. George Dole, proprietor of one of the earliest cold storage facilities, together with former educator H. J. Keith, founded the H.J. Keith Company. They were innovators in egg breaking and in separating yolks from whites as individual products. In 1898, Keith collaborated with H. A. Perry from Salina, Kansas, who established Seymour Foods and created a manual yolk-and-white separator that significantly enhanced efficiency.[1] Keith secured rights to this technology to expand production capacity.[2]
Morris Ovson, originally from Russia and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1909, began his career as an egg candler at H.J. Keith Company.[3] He progressed to become a processing inspector and was responsible for inaugurating new plants. Keith assigned Ovson to Europe to investigate dried egg manufacturing methods and subsequently to Shanghai in 1917 to establish the Amos Bird Company (which later merged into The Borden Food Corporation).[3]
Choosing not to relocate permanently to China, Ovson returned stateside in 1919 and joined forces with Keith to create the Ovson-Keith Egg Company. To secure funding, investors C. J. Bowman and W. F. Priebe joined the venture, resulting in the Bowman-Priebe-Ovson Company.
1920s
On September 19, 1922, Morris Ovson was granted a patent for "Mocoyolk" (U.S. Patent No. 1,429,559), a formulation consisting of 95% egg yolk combined with 5% glycerine. This product was engineered to preserve the texture of eggs and retain moisture within baked goods.
In 1929, the Bowman-Priebe-Ovson Company restructured under the name Ovson Egg Company. Amid financial difficulties during the Great Depression, the National Dairy Products Corporation (which would later become Kraft Foods) acquired a majority interest without full control.[4]
1930s and 1940s
By 1937, Ovson Egg Company was one of the two leading processed egg producers in America alongside Standard Brands, which eventually became part of Nabisco and Kraft Foods. Ovson Egg operated seven manufacturing plants throughout the Midwest and maintained Asia’s largest egg processing facility located in Shanghai.
During World War II, there was a significant increase in demand for egg products that elevated Ovson Egg’s profitability. The company served as a major supplier of dried and powdered eggs to U.S. armed forces.
In 1948, Leo and Morris Ovson inaugurated a new plant in Neosho, Missouri, constructed by R. A. Haas of Haas Cold Storage—who also oversaw processing operations at this location.
Sale and legal troubles
Following Kraft Foods’ acquisition of National Dairy Products in 1952, Ovson Egg became part of Kraft’s portfolio while continuing operations from its Chicago offices.
Soon after, in 1955, Morris and Leo Ovson faced perjury charges connected to labor racketeering probes concerning payments made to union officials at Chicago’s Fulton Street Egg Market—one of the largest egg trading centers nationwide. An accountant employed by Ovson Egg was also charged. Morris Ovson entered a guilty plea on one count; however, due to his advanced age and health issues, he was sentenced to probation instead of incarceration.
Morris Ovson passed away in 1961 at age seventy-seven.
Current status
By 2007, Ovson Egg continued to operate as a subsidiary under Kraft Foods, maintaining offices located in New York City, Kansas City, Missouri, and Shanghai. The company’s product lines were mainly distributed to other divisions within Kraft.