Tupper sold his company in 1958. After operating as a subsidiary of a number of different businesses, including the food company Kraft, Tupperware was spun off and listed in 1996. Revenues and net profits peaked in 2013 at $2.7bn and $270mn respectively, while its share price hit a high of nearly $100.

Tupperware and some of its subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the once-iconic food container maker said in a statement.

The brand, once so popular it became the name of an entire product category, has seen sales fall as consumer behaviors change and competition increases.