In just a short time, however, cases of beriberi and pellagra began to drastically increase. This appeared to be a great advance in technology. Local mills soon went out of business as the large roller mills produced huge volumes of long lasting white flour. The bran and wheat germ were sold as high protein food supplements for cattle. Lucrative markets were also found for the nutritious “by-products” of this new milling process. This began to eliminate the need for local milling and people began to relinquish their own responsibility of preparing their bread daily. By removing the germ, germ oil, and the bran, the remaining white flour could be stored indefinitely. However, in the 1920’s new technology allowed enterprising millers to separate the wheat components. This meant that just about every family was “gathering” their manna daily. Also since the germ oil causes the flour to turn rancid very quickly, only enough grain was ground fresh each day to meet the needs of the community. Within about 72 hours, 90% of over 30 nutrients are virtually gone due to oxidation. Once broken open, as in milling, the nutrients immediately begin to oxidize. God designed the wheat kernel, as well as other grains, to perfectly store the nutrients within. “Prior to the 1900’s most flour was milled locally and the bread baked at home. We had a fun time learning that we grew up that close to each other 10 years apart. Turns out she grew up on our street, 13 Colonel Estill Ave. She inpired me to sell most of my vacuums and carpet cleaners to be able to purchase a grain mill and heavy duty Bosch Universal mixer so that I could easily make nutricious food for my family. I listened to a lady named Sue Becker, owner of Bread Beckers in Woodstock, GA, talk on the health benefits of milling wheat and using that flour for all baking needs. The FDA’s 1958 Food Additives Amendment required manufacturers to prove the “safety” ( whatever!!) of new additives.ĬLICK HERE TO CONTINUE WITH PROCESSED FOODS HISTORY, 1960s to Today Ready-to-eat foods were all the rage, and busy housewives were oh-so-happy to save time by using quick, canned and frozen foods. The popularity of television, the invention of the remote control and the introduction of the first microwave for home use didn’t exactly add to America’s health! Fast food restaurants were everywhere, and processed foods were mass distributed, thanks to the new highways. This decade was a low point for American cuisine. issued guidelines for adding iron, vitamin B, thiamine and riboflavin to bread and other grain products to offset nutrient deficiencies. to produce lots of highly processed (and unhealthy) foods. Government subsidies for corn and soy led to a food industry with a financial incentive to use high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified corn starches, etc. The first Dairy Queen and McDonald’s fast food restaurants opened, and on the opposite end of the culinary spectrum, James Beard’s first cookbook was published.įarmers used fertilization and irrigation to increase crop yields, decreasing the vitamins and minerals in those plants. Adding to convenience in the kitchen, Tupperware and Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil were introduced. After the war, many new “convenience foods” were introduced (dehydrated juice, instant coffee, cake mix) … the result of military research. With World War II raging, the 1940s saw rationing to feed the fighting soldiers. Colonel Harland Sanders invented his secret formula, spicing the fried chicken at Sanders Court and Café in Kentucky (a.k.a. In the 1930s, with the Great Depression looming, families had to get by with less, be super-thrifty and stretch meals … reducing protein and adding more vegetables and beans. Condiments opened tastebuds to new flavors, thanks to the immigrants who introduced them. Gas stoves, electric refrigerators and other kitchen tools and appliances were in more and more homes, so more types of food could be purchased and stored. Processed food ads promised to save time for housewives. World War I brought about new methods of food processing, including canned and frozen foods. In the 1920s, women were growing weary of preparing foods from scratch, and ready-to-cook foods were becoming more available.
Some processed foods became available as early as the 1910s: Trans fats were invented in the 1890s and entered the food supply in the 1910s.