Food
Irradiated Milk
This product was not subject to atomic radiation, but rather a different process. In the 1930s, to fight rickets, scientists sought to increase the Vitamin D content in milk through the application of ultraviolet rays.However, as this account relates:
Making matters worse, while experiments showed milk to be an ideal source for getting vitamin D into the diets of American children, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light tended to give fluid milk a foul odor and an off-putting taste. On top of that, any excess heat had the counterproductive effect of destroying the milk’s vitamin A.
But finally, science found a way!
But, of course, for both political and nutritional reasons, finding a way to deliver vitamin D dairy products remained the ultimate prize. After years of testing, Steenbock, Scott and their collaborators finally determined a three-part scheme for fortifying milk. First, dairy cows could be fed with irradiated feed to produce higher levels of vitamin D. Second, industrial machines constructed by companies like Creamery Package Manufacturing and Hanovia Chemical allowed large-scale irradiation of fluids while minimizing the negative effects on taste and smell.12 Third, irradiated ergosterol could be mixed into the final product as a tasteless additive.13
Read the manufacturer's pamphlet here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 07, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Food, Science, Children, 1930s, Diseases
Va-rice-ity
Heavy sexual innuendo to sell rice.
Life - Oct 3, 1969
Life - (L) Mar 13, 1970; (R) June 19, 1970
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 19, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Advertising, 1960s, 1970s
Miss Cheesecake
The contest seems to have gone on for a good number of years in the 1940s and 1950s.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 11, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Food, 1940s, 1950s
National Pork Queen of 1962
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 23, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Food, 1960s
Follies of the Madmen #601
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 22, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Food, Stereotypes and Cliches, Advertising, Children, 1950s, Native Americans
Toaster That Butters the Toast
Man, given the laziness of the average person, this should have been a bestselling item. Unless...the notion of a reservoir full of old butter sitting at room temperature for weeks was a turn-off.Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 15, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Domestic, Food, Inventions, Patents, Technology, 1960s
Meat Cutting Offers You Success and Security
Because PEOPLE MUST EAT!
Popular Mechanics - Jan 1953
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 05, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Jobs and Occupations, Advertising, 1950s
The Wayfarer’s Dole
From Gastro Obscura:The Church's home page.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 25, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, History, Religion, United Kingdom, Alcohol
Miss Durum Macaroni
To win the title of 'Miss Durum Macaroni' it wasn't enough to be attractive. Contestants were also judged on a macaroni recipe that they were required to submit.You can find the recipe of the winner, Julie Kay Dunkirk, below. She won with Mexican Macaroni Casserole.
Also, if you're a fan of browsing through old trade journals, the entire run of The Macaroni Journal (1919-1984) can be found online at the website of the National Pasta Association.
Billings Gazette - Oct 30, 1963
Mandan Morning Pioneer - Oct 11, 1964
Macaroni Journal - Dec 1963
Update: I found a better quality image of Miss Durum Macaroni on the website of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 23, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Food, 1960s
A case of food poisoning in Peru
Louisville Courier-Journal - Dec 4, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 21, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Poisons and Other Injurious Substances, 1970s, South America
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |