Robert Rich, 92, Chairman Of Whipped Topping Company
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Frozen food pioneer Robert Rich Sr., whose invention of the first nondairy whipped topping in 1945 launched Rich Products Corporation, died Wednesday at his home in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 92.
With the death of its chairman, Rich Products, which employs 7,000 people internationally and has $2.5 billion in annual sales, will continue to operate under its president, Robert Rich Jr.
Rich began his business career in 1935 as owner of Wilber Farms Dairy in 1935. In 1945, while war food administrator in Michigan and with milk scarce, he began investigating the plentiful soybean and came up with a soybean-based whipped topping touted as better than cream because it was more stable and could be frozen.
Rich’s Whip Topping remains a staple in school food service, restaurants and supermarket bakeries. The company’s product line also includes breads, pizza dough, seafood and appetizers.
Rich was one of the first four inductees in the National Frozen Food Industry Hall of Fame in 1990.
Rich was chairman of the Buffalo Bisons, Cleveland’s Triple-A farm team, and oversaw construction of a downtown baseball stadium for the team.
