In 1891 Dr. August Oetker developed the baking powder Backin at his pharmacy in Bielefeld, Germany. Thanks to the quality of the raw materials and the stable ratio of active ingredients, he was able to guarantee housewives perfect baking results every time. With this outstanding innovation Dr. August Oetker laid the foundations for a major business enterprise and for the brand Dr. Oetker. To increase public awareness of Backin the company published special recipe booklets, ran newspaper advertisements and printed recipe suggestions on the packaging. The goal was to communicate the quality and reliability (succeeds every time) of this brand-name product, which more than a century later still sells strongly. Dr. Oetker went on to develop further products such as Gustin and Vanillezucker. Dr. Oetker pudding mix is another product, which dates back to the early days of the companys history. Due to the success and continuous expansion of the product range, Dr. Oetker rapidly acquired manufacturing facilities. Shortly after the turn of the century the company opened its first food factory, which was then expended successively in the following years. Production facilities were also established in other European countries. The sustained growth of Dr. Oetker was rooted in the companys ability to innovate and introduce new products in line with changing consumer requirements. This manifested itself in the decision to enter the frozen food and chilled food segments. Today, the Dr. Oetker companies in various countries around the world are managed by Oetker International in Bielefeld, Germany. Although activities centre on the markets of Western and Eastern Europe, Dr. Oetker also maintains a presence in North and South America. Dr. Oetker is a family-owned enterprise, which is headed in the fourth generation by Dr. h. c. August Oetker. The family feels bound by its responsibilities, not only to the company but also to society as a whole. This is reflected in the familys environmentally oriented approach to corporate management, its initiatives aimed at securing jobs as well as its general social and cultural commitment. The Oetker family acts according to the principle that the interests of the company take precedence over the interests of the proprietors. This is a key factor in the outstanding loyalty and identification displayed by the Oetker workforce. Dr. Oetker was established in Canada in 1960, known at that time as Condima Imports Ltd. The company under went a few more name changes before finally settling to Dr. Oetker Ltd. in 2003. It was not until 1992 that Dr. Oetker Ltd. Canada purchased the Shirriff line of products. Similarly, in 1995 they acquired the Added Touch trademark.