Principles of Food Science, 3rd Edition Page 9 (31 of 864)

9
Chapter 1 Food Science: An Old but New Subject
Government Regulation of the Food Industry
As with most new developments, the commercial production of
food led to some problems. From time to time, government regulation
was needed to address the problems. These dynamic forces—a growing
food industry and a vigilant government—resulted in the consistent,
economic, convenient food supply you enjoy today.
Early Regulation
Before the 1820s, the main food safety concern was spoilage.
With the arrival of mass food production and canning, adulteration
became a widespread problem. Adulteration is lowered quality and
safety of a product caused by adding inferior ingredients that may
be toxic. The following are a few nineteenth and early twentieth
century examples of adulterated food products:
• Ground pepper contained gravel, leaves, and twigs.
• Vinegar was diluted with sulfuric acid.
George Washington Carver
Through research in his chemistry lab,
George Washington Carver developed
hundreds of food products.
George Washington Carver (1860–1943)
was a freed slave, artist, botanist, chemist,
professor, pianist, and food scientist. George
Washington Carver completed his high school
education in his late 20s in Minneapolis,
Kansas, while working as a farmhand. He
continued his studies at Iowa State College.
He received a degree in agricultural studies
in 1894 and a master of science degree in 1896.
Iowa State offered him an appointment as
assistant botanist where he was responsible
for the school’s greenhouse. This was where
he started a fungus collection that grew to
20,000 species and brought him his initial
professional fame.
In 1896, Booker T. Washington offered
Carver a position on the staff at Tuskegee
Institute. As the director of agricultural
research, Carver worked to improve the lot
of the Southern farmer.
He developed products
derived from soil-
enriching crops like
peanuts and sweet
potatoes. These products
helped revolutionize the economy of the South.
They freed the South from exclusive depen-
dence on cotton, which depleted the soil.
Carver’s work resulted in the development
of hundreds of food and industrial products.
Products derived from peanuts include fl our,
cheese, milk, coffee, ink, dyes, plastics, soap,
and linoleum. Products derived from sweet
potatoes include fl our, vinegar, molasses,
rubber, and a postage stamp glue.
Carver encouraged improved farming
methods and conservation. He sought to
change the lot of African-American people
through education. He paved the way for a
better life for the entire South.

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Extracted Text (may have errors)

9
Chapter 1 Food Science: An Old but New Subject
Government Regulation of the Food Industry
As with most new developments, the commercial production of
food led to some problems. From time to time, government regulation
was needed to address the problems. These dynamic forces—a growing
food industry and a vigilant government—resulted in the consistent,
economic, convenient food supply you enjoy today.
Early Regulation
Before the 1820s, the main food safety concern was spoilage.
With the arrival of mass food production and canning, adulteration
became a widespread problem. Adulteration is lowered quality and
safety of a product caused by adding inferior ingredients that may
be toxic. The following are a few nineteenth and early twentieth
century examples of adulterated food products:
• Ground pepper contained gravel, leaves, and twigs.
• Vinegar was diluted with sulfuric acid.
George Washington Carver
Through research in his chemistry lab,
George Washington Carver developed
hundreds of food products.
George Washington Carver (1860–1943)
was a freed slave, artist, botanist, chemist,
professor, pianist, and food scientist. George
Washington Carver completed his high school
education in his late 20s in Minneapolis,
Kansas, while working as a farmhand. He
continued his studies at Iowa State College.
He received a degree in agricultural studies
in 1894 and a master of science degree in 1896.
Iowa State offered him an appointment as
assistant botanist where he was responsible
for the school’s greenhouse. This was where
he started a fungus collection that grew to
20,000 species and brought him his initial
professional fame.
In 1896, Booker T. Washington offered
Carver a position on the staff at Tuskegee
Institute. As the director of agricultural
research, Carver worked to improve the lot
of the Southern farmer.
He developed products
derived from soil-
enriching crops like
peanuts and sweet
potatoes. These products
helped revolutionize the economy of the South.
They freed the South from exclusive depen-
dence on cotton, which depleted the soil.
Carver’s work resulted in the development
of hundreds of food and industrial products.
Products derived from peanuts include fl our,
cheese, milk, coffee, ink, dyes, plastics, soap,
and linoleum. Products derived from sweet
potatoes include fl our, vinegar, molasses,
rubber, and a postage stamp glue.
Carver encouraged improved farming
methods and conservation. He sought to
change the lot of African-American people
through education. He paved the way for a
better life for the entire South.

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8
Unit 1 The Science of Food
understanding the “whys” came into being. During that century,
researchers began to discover chemicals and their relationships to life.
The microscope was improved in the early 1800s. As a result, scientists
began to understand bacteria and their effects on food spoilage and
human health. The canning process was invented in France and was
soon expanded to commercial scale. The fi rst U.S. canning plant was
opened in New York in 1812. See 1-3.
Along with advances in scientifi c knowledge, the late eighteenth
century brought major changes to the economy. These changes
resulted from developing power-driven machines and harnessing steam
and coal power. This period is referred to as the industrial revolution.
Steam engines enabled machines to do the work of many people.
In the 1830s, the invention of such farm machinery as the thresher,
reaper, and steel plow increased food production. The invention of
specialized factory equipment also sped food processing steps. These
developments led to the start of many food processing companies.
Armour foods opened in 1867, and Pillsbury and Campbell were
founded in 1869.
Ingredients were developed to manufacture foods faster and with
more consistent quality. Better products, such as breads with fi ner
texture, were highly desired and more profi table. Baking powder
was mass-produced in 1856. Commercial yeast became available in
1868. Self-rising fl our was fi rst marketed in the 1890s.
World Wars I and II encouraged the development and acceptance
of a number of food products. Some convenience foods were developed
fi rst for the military. An example is pancake mix, which was developed
during World War I. Pancake mixes were followed to the consumer
market by biscuit and cake mixes in the 1930s. However, the majority
of consumers initially snubbed
these early convenience foods,
considering them vastly inferior
to homemade products.
As a result of World War II,
many women entered the work-
force to replace men who had
enlisted in the armed services.
These women had less time for
food preparation. Thus, the demand
for foods that could be prepared
quickly and easily increased.
Wartime rationing of sugar and
butter made it diffi cult to have
ample supplies for home baking.
These two factors fostered the
popularity of mixes that had been
poorly received by consumers a
decade earlier. ©Bruce Amos/Shutterstock
1-3 The invention of the canning process made it possible to safely preserve
large quantities of food.

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10
Unit 1 The Science of Food
• Coffee contained roasted grain, scorched beans and peas, and
baked horse liver.
• Milk was watered down or had chalk, starch, gelatin, or
borax added.
• Sugar contained sand, dust, and lime.
A number of factors contributed to tampering with food ingre-
dients. These included centralized food processing, greed, and
declining personal accountability.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was established in
1862 to oversee food production and agricultural research. However,
it was given little authority to monitor or enforce the safety of the food
supply. Harvey Wiley was appointed head chemist of the USDA in 1883.
He began a campaign to eliminate misnamed and adulterated foods.
Wiley’s work led to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. This act
authorized Wiley’s department to regulate and monitor the U.S. food
supply. His Bureau of Chemistry ultimately became the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). In 1938, Congress expanded the authority
of the FDA in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These two laws are
the basis for all the rules and regulations written by the FDA. Both
the FDA and the USDA are still the key regulatory agencies for the
food industry. See 1-4.
Government Regulation Today
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains detailed regulations
for the production and interstate trade of foods. Over the years, the
act has been updated to better protect U.S. citizens. Such updates have
been in response to new research fi ndings.
The act has done more than provide a set of enforceable regulations.
It has served as a basis for developing recommendations for safe food
handling. These recommendations are published in the FDA Food Code.
This reference is available to anyone seeking information on how
to prevent foodborne illness in retail and food service operations.
Restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions such as schools and
hospitals use the Food Code as a guide to handling food safely. State
and local agencies also use it as a model for writing their own food
safety rules.
The FDA now regulates about 80 percent of the U.S. food supply.
This includes all domestic and imported food, except meat, poultry,
and processed egg products. The agency also approves food additives,
sets food labeling guidelines, and creates standards for the safety
and wholesomeness of food products.
Signifi cant changes in the agency’s food safety focus were signed
into law with the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010. When fully
implemented, the FDA will shift from responding to food contamination
to taking steps that will actually prevent it. Tools are being developed
to quickly track foods that may be contaminated. Implementation of
the law will take two to three years and approximately 12,000 new
trained inspectors at an estimated cost of $600 million by 2015.

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Page 25Unit 1 The Science of Food click to expand contents

Page 111Unit 2 Basic Chemistry click to expand contents

Page 231Unit 3 Organic Chemistry: The Macronutrients click to expand contents

Page 389Unit 4 Food Chemistry: The Microcomponents click to expand contents

Page 513Unit 5 Food Microbiology: Living Organisms in Food click to expand contents

Page 593Unit 6 Food Preservation and Packaging click to expand contents

Page 691Unit 7 Working with Complex Food Systems click to expand contents

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