Economic Challenges Of The 1970's

The majority of American families had always, grown, raised, caught or hunted for their own foods. Until the early 1900's. The use of food preservatives began in 1910. The Trans-Fat was the first food additive to begin to be used in foods. Nathan's Hot Dogs, Aunt Jemima syrup, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Oreo cookies, Crisco, and Marshmallow Fluff were the first foods that began to use additives in the food to increase taste and length of time the food could be able to be stored before becoming unservable. But it was not until the 1950s that the processed foods were able to be mass produced.
Fast food restaurants were everywhere, and processed foods were mass distributed, thanks to the new highways. 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!
The FDA’s 1958 Food Additives Amendment required manufacturers to prove the “safety” of new additives.
Economic challenges of the 1970s meant homemade foods were simple … think Hamburger Helper and the Betty Crocker cookbook. The FDA banned food coloring Red Dye No. 2 because studies showed that it might cause cancer. Red M&Ms disappeared for 11 years because of the ban. High-fructose corn syrup became increasingly prevalent in beverages and processed foods. “Lite” products, such as Miller Lite beer, were introduced to combat the pounds Americans were packing