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Wonder Foods

The Science and Commerce of Nutrition
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Wonder Foods by Lisa Haushofer explores the development of novel food products between 1850 and 1950 in Britain and the United States, highlighting the intersections of nutrition science and commercial innovation. The book examines iconic products like Gail Borden's meat biscuit and Kellogg's health foods, revealing how these items were marketed as miraculous solutions to social and individual health issues. Haushofer's extensive archival research uncovers how these foods symbolised modernity and scientific progress while also reflecting exclusionary and exploitative social practices tied to colonial and industrial food systems.
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Format: Hardback
$18099
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is suited for readers interested in food history, nutrition science, social history, and the cultural implications of modern food industries. It will appeal to students, researchers, and general readers curious about the complex relationships between food, science, and society.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Between 1850 and 1950, experts and entrepreneurs in Britain and the United States forged new connections between the nutrition sciences and the commercial realm through their enthusiasm for new edible consumables. The resulting food products promised wondrous solutions for what seemed both individual and social ills.

By examining products like Gail Borden's meat biscuit, Benger's Food, Kellogg's health foods, Fleischmann's yeast, and food yeast, Wonder Foods shows how new products dazzled with visions of modernity, efficiency, and scientific progress, even as they perpetuated exclusionary views about who deserved to eat, thrive, and live.

Drawing on extensive archival research, historian Lisa Haushofer reveals that the story of modern food and nutrition was not about innocuous technological advances or superior scientific insights but rather the powerful logic of exploitation and economization that undergirded colonial and industrial food projects. In the process, these wonder food products have shaped both modern food regimes and how we think about food.

Series: California Studies in Food and Culture

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"Wonder Foods is well-written, clearly organized, and generously cited with reputable sources — an exemplary food history from the perspective of the history of science and medicine." — Journal of the History of Biology
Wonder Foods encourages reflection on the societal and environmental impacts of food production and consumption, urging awareness of whom these choices affect historically and today. — Society for US Intellectual History

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780520390386

Publisher: University of California Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 27 December 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: University of California Press

Illustration: 20 b-w illustrations

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 544g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Lisa HaushoferΒ is a physician and historian of science, medicine, and food. She is currently Senior Research Associate inΒ the History of Medicine Department at the University of Zurich.

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    Between 1850 and 1950, experts and entrepreneurs in Britain and the United States forged new connections between the nutrition sciences and the commercial realm through their enthusiasm for new edible consumables. The resulting food products promised wondrous solutions for what seemed both individual and social ills. By examining products like Gail Borden's meat biscuit, Benger's Food, Kellogg's health foods, Fleischmann's...
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