We Are What We Eat

Have you ever wondered what makes food processed? Did you know that altering the natural cellular makeup of raw ingredients is considered a form of processing? That would include chopping, mincing, cooking, boiling, or frying. What––this can’t be, you say. I thought processed foods were laden with additives, preservatives, and names of chemicals I could barely pronounce. In today’s modern supermarkets, this may be true. Still, it’s a relatively new phenomenon brought about by the increased consumer demand for cheap and easy-to-prepare food following the post-WWII boom.

Food processing or preservation in one form or another dates back to pre-historic times. For early man, the most common forms of food preservation were sun drying, salting, pickling, and fermentation. Those processes remained essentially unchanged until the Industrial Revolution. 

As Napoleon once famously said, “An Army travels on its stomach,” and the need to feed large armies brought about the process of canning and tinning. Early forms of canning used lead solder to seal the containers. In 1845, lead poisoning was the widely suspected culprit in the doomed polar expedition commanded by Sir John Franklin, resulting in the death of all members of the crew. In 1864, food safety standards improved with pasteurization, which massively decreased spoilage for commodities such as beer, wine, and milk.  

The space race in the late 1950s led to ramped-up processed food production. Over 400 different additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, and stabilizers, were introduced into packaged foods in the 1950s. If you shudder at the thought, Melanie Warner, the author of Pandora’s Lunchbox, estimates over 5000 different additives are used in today’s food production and preservation.  

Do you think all additives are created equal? If so, chew on this. Vitamin D-enhanced foods do not include natural sources of Vitamin D. Natural sources of Vitamin D are found in egg yolks, cheese, tuna, salmon, and beef liver. The form of vitamin D found in packaged foods, juice, and milk usually comes from sheep’s wool or lanolin.

Before you think I am going on another rant, processed foods have many positive benefits. Number one is the dramatic decrease in food-borne illnesses. Processing increases the consistency of production and the availability of global nutrition, which was impossible in the past. It decreases the amount of cooking and preparation time. To a busy family, this can be a lifesaver. But despite these advantages, American families remain concerned about preservative-laden foods.

For example, the condiment ketchup is found in 97% of American homes today. It may surprise you that ‘ge-thcup’ or cat-sup has existed since imperial China—the sauce made from a combination of fish entrails and soybeans. Sound appetizing––probably not. The first tomato or ‘love apple’ based formulas were introduced in 1812. The problem? How to keep the tomato from decomposing. The answer? The addition of sodium benzoate, a widely used preservative commonly found in salad dressings, carbonated drinks, jams, and other condiments, Under the FDA, the allowable ‘safe’ use is 0.1% by weight in the United States. However, a clever marketing campaign in the 19th century brought this commonly used preservative to the forefront of the American public.

In 1876, Heinz developed a benzoate-free formula by doubling and sometimes tripling the amounts of distilled vinegar brown sugar in their recipe using high-quality tomatoes. In contrast, many other ketchup products were made with tomato trimmings, counting on adding benzoate to keep their formula from molding. While this made the Heinz brand superior, it was the costlier option. Heinz found an allay in the USDA in Dr. Harvey Wiley, a prominent poison squad member. Wiley was a crusader for preservative-free foods under the Roosevelt administration. The Heinz Company’s marketing campaign touted the government warnings against using benzoate in food preservation in a nationwide advertising campaign. Other ketchup producers formed the ‘anti-benzoate free’ lobby, and the ketchup wars were on. But, the American consumer was won over by the Heinz message. Heinz’s gamble paid off, putting most other ketchup companies out of business. Effective messaging played a massive role in making Heinz the iconic brand it is today. 

Processing affects the nutrient density of food and limits the number of healthy microbes in the gut. Food additives and sugars increase the risk of obesity and the prevalence of diabetes. I found some interesting facts about the origins of processed foods. I wanted to share a few with you.

SPAM, which stands for Shoulder of Pork and Ham, was introduced in 1937. It quickly became a staple of Allied troops, who consumed over 150 million pounds of canned meat products during the war years. In the Korean War, it became a commodity used to trade goods and services and even barter intelligence. Today, SPAM is still a popular staple in many Asian dishes. If you visit Hawaii, you will likely find it on the menu somewhere.

Did you ever wonder how the frozen Swanson dinners came about? In 1953, Swanson and Sons, already known for their chicken pot pies and frozen poultry, possessed 260 tons of leftover turkey after dismal Thanksgiving Day sales. They stored the 520,000 pounds of turkey on refrigerated rail cars, which only refrigerated while moving. The frozen birds traveled by rail from Nebraska to New York while company executives tried to devise a solution. One of Swanson’s salesmen created the three-compartment aluminum tray, and the turkey and dressing dinner was born. 

America's love for fast food is well known. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary included the term in the 1951 edition. However, fast food vendors have been around for centuries, starting with the food stall vendors of ancient Rome and the Second Century Han Dynasty. Vending machine restaurants were founded in Berlin in 1896 and 1902 in New York City.

The first chicken nuggets were introduced at Cornell University in the 1950s. Ground-up chicken parts coated in breading made chicken more widely available in New York. My favorite chain, Chick-fil-A, originally opened as The Dwarf House in 1946, included a diminutive ten-stool counter and four tables. The chain became popular in mall food courts. The first freestanding restaurant opened in 1986.

The first hamburger chain, White Castle, originated in Wichita in 1921. The McDonald brothers started a drive-in restaurant in California in 1948. Ray Kroc, who bought out the local chain in 1954, turned it into the mega-chain it is today.

So, there you have it, folks. We should all adhere to the adage, ‘Be careful what you ask for.' Our food system and the way we view it have changed forever. Whether for better or worse is up to you to decide.