August Oetker
Dr. August Oetker (6 January 1862 – 10 January 1918) was a German inventor, food scientist and businessman. He is known as the creator of baking powder as a ready-to-use product, and also as the founder of the Dr. Oetker company.
August Oetker | |
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| Born | January 6, 1862 |
| Died | January 10, 1918 (aged 56) Bielefeld, Westphalia, Germany |
| Occupation | Food scientist/ businessman |
| Relatives | Rudolf August Oetker (grandson) |
Biography
Early life
August Oetker was born on 6 January 1862 in Obernkirchen, Germany.
Career
In 1891, he bought the Aschoffsche pharmacy in Bielefeld and developed a baking agent, which was designed to ensure the success of the baking process. Prior to Oetker, a British chemist, Alfred Bird, had already discovered baking powder.
From 1890, he distributed his invention under the brand name Backin, thus laying the basis for the family-owned company, called Oetker-Gruppe. This company still uses the very same recipe to produce baking powder. On 21 September 1909, Oetker filed a patent for his Procedure for making long-lasting baking powder or ready-to-bake flour.
Due to successful marketing, his products sold quite well and soon the old pharmacy had turned into a successful company. In 1900, he built his first manufacturing plant and by 1906 had sold 50 million packages of Backin.
Death and legacy
He died on 10 January 1918 in Bielefeld, Germany. Later, Oetker's grandson Rudolf August Oetker took over the company.
Motto: Ein heller Kopf verwendet stets Oetker. ("A bright mind always uses Oetker.").
See also
- Oetker Collection
- Alfred Bird, inventor of Bird's custard and also the first baking powder in 1843
- Henry Jones, a Bristol baker who patented self-raising flour in 1845, as a means of providing fresh bread on ships.
External links
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