FOOD PRODUCTS CHAPTER I THE SOURCE AND COMPOSITION OF FOOD To supply himself with food which shall build up the tissues of the body, and yield energy for daily work, has always been one of the most important problems which man has to solve. This outranks in importance even the question of clothing and shelter, for, among primitive peoples especially, much less time and labor are bestowed on these necessities than on how to get enough to eat. In the earlier times each family provided itself with food from the immediate vicinity of its dwelling; but as the conditions of society became more complicated, and great centers of population grew up, it was no longer possible to supply the people with food in this way, and it became necessary to depend on the labor of others to procure the food and bring it to our door. The business of supplying the world with food has gradually increased until to-day an immense number of laborers is employed in raising, manufacturing and distributing the food products of the world. This fact is illustrated, as far as the producers and manufacturers are concerned, by the following table: THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD PRODUCERS AND MANUFACTURERS ARE AS FOLLOWS, FOR 1. Cereal Foods. a. Farmers. b. Millers of wheat, rye, corn, oats, rice, barley and buckwheat. c. Bakers of bread, crackers, cakes, pastry and pretzels. d. Manufacturers of macaroni, vermicelli and food pastes. e. Manufacturers of prepared "cereals," breakfast foods, proprietary and infant's foods. f. Manufacturers of starches, yeast, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, calcium phosphate, alura, aluminum sulfate, tartaric acid and salt. g. Manufacturers of cereal by-products, as corn oil and oil cake. 2. Sugars. a. Planters. b. Sugar manufacturers, from cane, beets, maple sap and sorghum. c. Glucose manufacturers, from corn, rice or wheat starch. d. Sirup manufacturers. e. Honey growers. f. Candy and confectionery manufacturers. g. Manufacturers of Maltose and similar sugars from malted grains. 3. Fruits and Vegetables. a. Farmers, gardeners and horticulturalists. b. Canners, packers and dryers of fruits and vegetables. c. Manufacturers of jams, jellies, preserves, fruit juices and fruit sirups. d. Manufacturers of pickles, and of vinegar, mustard and similar condimental products. e. Manufacturers of Citrus and other by-products from fruits and vegetables. 4. Fats and Oils from Nuts and Fruits. a. Farmers and growers of nuts and oil-bearing fruits. b. Manufacturers of peanut butter, nut foods and vegetable oils. c. Manufacturers of butter and lard substitutes. 5. Nitrogenous Foods (Meats and Fish). a. Farmers and stock raisers. b. Packers of beef, pork, mutton, fowls, and game for distribution and cold storage. c. Fishermen who obtain fish, clams, oysters, lobsters, crabs, sea weed and "sea food" in general. d. Packers and dryers of fish. e. Canners of fish, lobsters, oysters, clams, shrimps, crabs, etc. f. Canners and packers of "prepared" or corned beef, of pork, mutton, sausages, devilled ham and similar products. g. Hunters and game distributors. 6. Dairy Products. a. Farmers and dairymen. b. Butter and cheese manufacturers. c. Proprietors of ice cream and condensed milk factories. d. Proprietors of milk sugar factories, and other plants for the utilization of milk by-products. 7. Egg Products. a. Farmers and poulterers. b. Egg packers. c. Manufacturers of desiccated eggs, albumin and similar products. 8. Spices. a. Growers of spices. b. Millers and manufacturers of spices and condiments. c. Manufacturers of essential oils, flavors, flavoring extracts. 9. Ice and Cold Storage. a. Manufacturers and storers of natural and artificial ice. b. Proprietors of cold storage plants and refrigerator cars and vessels. 10. Non-intoxicating Beverages. a. Tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate growers, roasters and grinders. e. Manufacturers of ethers, esters and synthetic flavors. f. Manufacturers of "dealcoholized" or "near-beers," grape juice, bottled cider, etc. 11. Intoxicating Beverages. a. Manufacturers of malt, ale, beer, stout, porter, etc. b. Manufacturers of wine, cider and perry. c. Distillers and rectifiers of alcohol, rum, gin, brandy and whiskey. d. Manufacturers of cordials, liqueurs, etc. 12. Water. a. Proprietors of plants for the storage, filtration and distribution of water. b. Manufacturers and distributors of distilled and table waters. Perishable and Non-perishable Foods The food made available by this immense number of producers may be classified into perishable and non-perishable products. It fortunately happens that many of the staple products, like the cereals, keep for a series of years, and bear transportation to any part of the globe. There are, however, more food-stuffs that are of such a perishable nature that the greatest care must be exercised in keeping them long enough to transport them to a distant market. There are some, in fact, especially foreign and tropical fruits and vegetables, that are so perishable that they are seldom known outside the limited area in which they are grown. In general it may be said that the products of northern climates bear transportation better than tropical fruits and vegetables, although there are some exceptions to this rule. The animal products are of course all quite perishable, but under modern methods of transportation there is nothing to prevent their use in the countries on the opposite side of the globe from that in which they are produced. The importation of food-stuffs into the United States has nearly doubled within the last twenty years. This increase is especially noticeable in the case of tea, coffee, cocoa, and tropical fruits. The importation of fruits and nuts is increasing at the rate of $3,000,000 a year, while the quantity of meats and animal products, such as cheese, that are brought into the United States, is four times as much as it was a few years ago. Distribution of Food In the early settlement of a country and among primitive peoples the food produced was distributed largely by the producers FIG. 1.-City Market, Lausanne, Switzerland. themselves, but as the population increased, several other methods of local distribution have been developed. First, in the large trade centers great municipal markets have been established, where the people can purchase daily the food needed. Market houses are erected, often by the city, and stalls are rented to the |