Shake 'N Bake Is Saving 900,000 Pounds Of Plastic With New Reusable Containers

Shake 'N Bake has been adding a crunchy breadcrumb coating to foods like chicken and pork since before some of today's adults were even born. And it has been used in American kitchens the same for decades, at least if vintage advertisements tell us anything.

Who can forget the black-and-white little girl who exclaimed, "It's Shake 'N Bake and I helped!" (via YouTube) or Alice from "The Brady Bunch" heading to the butcher shop for four cut-up chickens and some Shake 'N Bake mix (via YouTube)? When 1997 rolled around, there was child star Taylor Momsen showing us how to roll and shake the plastic Shake 'N Bake bag and spewing cute taglines like "I shooked and Mom cooked," per New York Daily News.

While the years and famous faces changed, one thing remained the same: the use of plastic bags. Even if you wanted to make a Copycat Shake 'N Bake recipe for your pork chops or chicken, it might involve a plastic Ziploc bag. Now, the Kraft Heinz Company, which owns Shake 'N Bake, is debuting a new side of Shake 'N Bake that fits with the 21st century, one that is more environmentally friendly and looks toward a more sustainable future (via press release on Business Wire).

According to a press release published on Business Wire, the Kraft Heinz Company will no longer be including the plastic "shaker" bag in its boxes of Shake 'N Bake and is recommending that consumers opt for "reusable plastic containers" to shake their chicken. Removing the bags will cut back on plastic waste, 900,000 pounds every year, in fact, which is similar to the weight of 270 cars. "While the 'shaker' bag is an important part of our legacy," said Shake 'N Bake's brand manager Brianna Galvin, the coating can work just as well without creating plastic-based food waste.

Over on Twitter, Shake 'N Bake fans are torn about the announcement. Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator and President of Beyond Plastics, is all for the change, calling it "Great news!" Shake 'N Bake fan Becca B, however, isn't as excited, tweeting, "I'm culinarily saddened Shake 'N Bake no longer includes shaker bags with their product! Just not the same. Still yummy though!"