 Gaines-Burgers was named after the former Gaines Food Company of Sherburne, New York, a major pet food company acquired by General Foods in 1943.In November 1982, General Foods introduced "Improved Gaines-Burgers Cheese", advertised as made with cheddar cheese.The "improved" reference relates to an earlier version of the product "with cheese" marketed in the early 1970s.