Oreo Cookies Get A Blasphemous Slimmer Design

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. What you see is a thinner, slimmer, more “sophisticated” Oreo, says Mondelez International Inc., the famed sandwich cookie’s manufacturer. Starting next week, Oreo Thins take to store shelves in the United States. The Thins have a similar cookie to filling ratio to the original version, but are about half as thick at 7.5 millimeters per piece. Pure blasphemy to baked goods, if we say so.

The flatter Oreo is part of an elaborate campaign to make the product more appealing to adults. Instead of kids twisting the two halves apart, licking the filling, and dunking the cookie in milk, the company no doubt envisions people having these with pinkies-up high tea.

Janda Lukin, senior director of Oreo for North America, told the Associated Press that the redesigned cookie is more sophisticated in the same way that a crepe is a classier pancake. Lukin also said that producing the Oreo Thin was a design challenge since 60% of the cookies were breaking. Tweaks in the manufacturing process brought that down to 3%.

Last year, Oreo Thins rolled out in China, where the company was trying to win back “lapsed users.” The revamped product earned $40 million is sales in the first eight months they were available.

This prompts more than a few questions: Do you really ever outgrow the tastiness and pure joy that comes with devouring a whole sleeve of Oreos? Will “less” of a cookie trick you into thinking it’s better for you? WIll American consumers mimic China? Should you mess with perfection?

Purists, you need not worry. You’ll still be able to get your beloved cookies in regular and Double Stuf.