Polly-O’s original headquarters.

From the rich ricotta in the lasagna to the mouth-watering mozzarella on the pizza, Polly-O’s cheeses have been a savored staple in New Jersey homes for generations, especially among the state’s many Italian Americans.

Now, there is reason to recommit to a brand that so many love. After being owned by a food corporation for about 15 years, Polly-O is again under the ownership of a family-operated company — BelGioioso Cheese Inc. owned by the Auricchio family — well known for its hand-crafted, artisan BelGioioso cheeses.

This change in ownership means a renewed commitment to the family traditions that spurred the popularity of the brand when it was first introduced in the late 1890s by Giuseppe Pollio, whose family operated the company for nearly 100 years.

“The family that founded BelGioioso moved here from Italy when Polly-O was the biggest brand of Italian cheese in America,’’ said Umberto Marconi, the company’s vice president of marketing. “So, it’s kind of poetic that BelGioioso was able to bring it back to family ownership.’’

For consumers, this change means that it will be easier to find Polly-O products on supermarket shelves. Supply chain issues had disrupted the delivery of products to stores, according to Marconi. BelGioioso has made significant investments across all operations to ensure the highest-quality products make it to market — and that new products are under development.

“We’re investing in people and facilities,” said Tim Cronin, general manager, Polly-O. “We acquired the historic Polly-O manufacturing plant in Campbell, N.Y. in June 2022. That is where Polly-O cheeses have been made for over 60 years. We went on to build a distribution center solely for Polly-O, which opened in September 2022. We have also invested in the communities and adjusted wages to retain the same valued and dedicated employees who were crafting Polly-O cheeses before.

“We are now able to fulfill the market demands with the products our customers are asking for,’’ he added. “And, as passionate cheese makers, we’re going to focus on quality and service, which is what helped Polly-O become the most iconic cheese brand in the Northeast.”

Polly-O’s founder, Giuseppe Pollio, first arrived in America from Italy in the late 1890s. He found almost immediate success when he started making and selling cheese from his Long Island home. At that time, it was hard to find high-quality cheese.

Pollio’s method of hand-crafting the cheese using traditional Italian methods fueled its popularity. The cheese became so successful that he and his son, Albert, opened an Italian deli — “Pollio Latticini” — in 1899. Later, he changed the brand name to the more catchy Polly-O and introduced Polly the Parrot.

BelGioioso has now reinstated the popular mascot, creating a whimsical, nostalgic nod to Polly-O’s beginnings, while celebrating its evolution and popularity.

“It’s all about the family tradition,’’ Marconi said. “We’re also looking at launching innovative new products in the future. We want to give people what they’re looking for and we want to give them new cheeses to savor and share. It is an emotional connection that people have with Polly-O.”