Underwood’s Deviled Ham: The Oldest Trademark Still in Use (2024)

Underwood’s Deviled Ham: The Oldest Trademark Still in Use (1)

On November 29, 1870, the William Underwood Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, one of the country’s first successful canning companies, registered a “Trade-Mark for Deviled Entremets”—“Intended for Sandwiches, Luncheons, and Traveler’s Repasts”—with the brand-new U.S. Patent Office.

The spicy deviled ham was not the first trademarked food; indeed, at Number 82 it was preceded by “J.B. Baldy & Co. Railroad Brand Mustard,” (No. 2), a canned menhaden packed by Tracy Coit called “Shadines” (No. 4), and William Lanfair Ellis of Baltimore’s canned oysters (No. 5).

What’s remarkable about Underwood’s trademark is that it remains in use today. Long gone are the William Ryan’s Sugar-Cured Hams (No. 11), H. K. Thurber’s Best Yeast-Powder (No. 14), and Century White Wheat Bourbon (No. 15). Meanwhile, the Underwood’s canned deviled hams endures.

Image from William Underwood & Co., 1870. Deviled Entremets U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 82 .

Peter Smith | | READ MORE

Peter Smith is a writer specializing in stories about food, science and technology.

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Underwood’s Deviled Ham: The Oldest Trademark Still in Use (2024)

FAQs

What is the oldest food trademark? ›

Deviled ham and devil logo

The devil logo was trademarked in 1870 and the company claims in its own literature that it is the oldest food trademark still in use in the United States.

What is the oldest registered trademark still used in the USA? ›

The oldest trademark registered in the United States of America that's still in use is believed to be the Underwood's Deviled Ham logo. The Underwood's company trademarked “Deviled Entremets”, and still uses the logo to this day.

How old is Underwood deviled ham? ›

New England born and nearly 150 years old, Underwood Deviled Ham is an all-American classic that's wickedly good.

Do they still make Underwood deviled ham? ›

You can still buy Underwood Deviled Ham, which has been around since 1868. Like so many processed food companies, though, Underwood now belongs to a multinational food conglomerate.

What is the oldest food still edible? ›

Some astonishingly old specimens of cheese have survived the millennia, sort of, such as one about 3,200 years old found in a jar inside an ancient Egyptian tomb. It was made from a mix of milks, from African buffalo, sheep and goat.

What is the oldest food known to man? ›

Bread. Bread is one the very first foods made by mankind. It is believed that bread was first made some 30000 years ago.

How long has Underwood deviled ham been in business? ›

Loved Since 1868

Underwood Deviled Ham has been traveling with you on camping trips, going with you to college and being your go-to sandwich meat or snack since 1868.

Why is deviled ham so good? ›

It's actually just plain old ground up ham packed in a round tin can with white paper wrapped around it. But deviled ham is no Spam or Treet meat. The devil's actually in the details, as spices such as hot sauce, peppers, turmeric, mustard, or cayenne pepper are blended into the meat for a little extra kick.

What is the shelf life of Underwood deviled ham? ›

Shelf Life Tips

Properly stored, unopened canned deviled ham will generally stay at best quality for about 3 to 5 years, although it will usually remain safe to use after that.

Who owns deviled ham? ›

6. Oldest Food Trademark in the U.S. Underwood registered a trademark for its devilish logo on Nov. 29, 1870 with the new U.S. Patent Office.

What part of the pig is deviled ham? ›

Ham meat or a mixture of ham and pork shoulder meat that is cured and then cooked with water, spices and other ingredients. The meat in some deviled ham is also smoked. After the meat and other ingredients are cooked, they are finely chopped into minced meat and packaged in a can and sealed.

What does devilled ham taste like? ›

It's tangy, sweet, spicy (according to your tastes) and (depending on your ham), can be salty or mild. Serve this deviled ham recipe with crackers or pita chips for a snack, thickly layered on a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and pickles or piped onto crudite for an easy party appetizer.

What food can last 100 years? ›

Honey is known to be one of the only foods that can last forever. This is largely due to the fact that it is made up of sugar, which makes it hard for bacteria or microorganisms to affect the honey.

What is the oldest meat ever eaten? ›

A ham in the US said to be the oldest in the world has celebrated its 112th birthday. Can it really be edible after all this time, asks Tom de Castella.

What is the only edible food that never expires? ›

HoneyHoney is the only food that actually lasts forever and never spoils. We can thank nature for the whole process of making and procuring honey. It is made using the nectar of the flowers which mixes with the enzymes extracted by the bees.

What did humans eat before they could cook? ›

The diet of the earliest hominins was probably somewhat similar to the diet of modern chimpanzees: omnivorous, including large quantities of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, insects and meat (e.g., Andrews & Martin 1991; Milton 1999; Watts 2008).

What did humans cook first? ›

Many archeologists believe the smaller earth ovens lined with hot stones were used to boil water in the pit for cooking meat or root vegetables as early as 30,000 years ago (during the Upper Paleolithic period).

What is the oldest food ever made? ›

Cheese seems to be the oldest man made food, showing up in early Mesopotamia and Egypt. Ancient cheese strainers were recently excavated in Poland, dating back 7,500 years.

Where does the term deviled ham come from? ›

According to The Oxford Companion to Food, "devil" is a culinary term that first appeared in the 18th century as a noun and then in the early 19th century as a verb, "meaning to cook something with fiery hot spices or condiments." The hot spices or condiments most often referred to the addition of mustard and cayenne ...

What is Spam made of? ›

What sets Spam apart from other products that are made from chopped meats that are cooked and pressed together (we're thinking about scrapple): Spam is made from pork shoulder and pork ham, with no other scraps from the hog. Pork shoulder is considered a high-quality cut of pork today, although in 1937, it was not.

Who bought Honeybaked Ham? ›

All these years later, the Honey Baked Ham Company has stayed within the Hoenselaar family and so has the commitment to make every ham the same way Harry did - one at a time.

Why do you soak ham bag in vinegar? ›

Soak your ham bag (or a brand new pillowcase) in a mixture of water and vinegar for 2 - 3 minutes. Roughly, 1 litre of water to 1/4 cup vinegar. Pop your ham in the bag and then in the fridge. This will keep your ham moist and fresh 1 - 2 weeks.

Why do you soak ham in water? ›

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed).

Is it OK to eat expired canned food? ›

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by' date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.

How long does unopened packaged ham last in the fridge? ›

Both plastic-wrapped and vacuum-packaged hams must be refrigerated. A plastic-wrapped ham will keep about one week. A vacuum-packaged ham should be consumed by the “use by” date or within 1 week after the “sell by” date. Both plastic-wrapped and vacuum-packaged hams can be frozen.

What is the world's oldest brand? ›

The oldest business in the world is a company in Japan called Kongō Gumi, which has been in operation since 578. It is the oldest company on the list by far, predating the second-oldest by more than 200 years.

What food brands have been around the longest? ›

#1 Baker's Chocolate, 1764

As far as we can tell, in the American food and drink world, no company is older.

What is the most famous trademark? ›

Some of the most widely recognized and famous trademarks include:
  • Google.
  • Walmart.
  • Vodafone.
  • Rolex.
  • Clorox.
  • Kodak.
  • Exxon.
  • Victoria Secret.

What was the first registered brand? ›

Following the creation of the formal registration system, January 1st 1876- the first trade mark was registered by Bass Brewery.

What brands were around for 100 years? ›

Iconic Brands That Have Prospered for Over 100 Years
  • Coca Cola (1892) Coca Cola's “Birth of a Refreshing Idea” was founded in 1886 by an Atlanta pharmacist, John. ...
  • Colgate (1806) ...
  • Crayola (1885) ...
  • Johnson & Johnson (1886) ...
  • General Electric (1892) ...
  • Target (1902) ...
  • Harley-Davidson Motorcycles (1903) ...
  • UPS (1907)
Nov 16, 2020

What is the only food in the world that doesn't expire? ›

Honey. Honey has been called the only food that truly lasts forever, thanks to its magical chemistry and the handiwork of bees. The nectar from flowers mixes with enzymes inside the bees that extract it, which changes the nectar's composition and breaks it down into simple sugars that are deposited into honeycombs.

What grocery store food has the longest shelf life? ›

13 Surprising Foods With Unusually Long Shelf Lives
  • Hard Liquor // Nearly Forever - Unopened* ...
  • Canned Beans // 30+ years. ...
  • Ramen Noodles // 10+ years. ...
  • Flour // 5-8 years. ...
  • Dried Pasta // 5-8 years. ...
  • Canned Tuna // 5 years. ...
  • Peanut Butter // 2-5 years. ...
  • Coconut Oil // 2 years.

What is a poor man's trademark? ›

A poor man's trademark, in simple terms, is when a person mails to themselves in an envelope their underlying artwork or name they wish to trademark to themselves using the United States Postal Service.

What is the strongest trademark? ›

The strongest types of trademarks are (1) fanciful or coined marks, such as EXXON for petroleum products; and (2) arbitrary marks, such as AMAZON for retail services.

What is the oldest brand logo? ›

British tea company Twinings has the oldest logo that has been in continuous use with no alterations made to the logo's design. It was created for the tea company more than two centuries ago, in 1787.

What is the oldest label? ›

The oldest record label that is still in operation today! Columbia started out as a seller and distributor of Edison Phonographs and it was Columbia who invented the 10” disc and not only that, but they also invented what became known as the “double faced” discs.

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