The industrialization of food preservation and processing has been a dramatic development across Europe during modern times. This book sets out its story from the beginning of the nineteenth century when preservation of food from one harvest to another was essential to prevent hunger and even famine. Population growth and urbanization depended upon a break out from the 'biological ancien regime in which hunger was an ever-present threat. The application of mass production techniques by the food industries was essential to the modernization of Europe.
From the mid-nineteenth century the development of food industries followed a arked regional pattern. After an initial growth in north-west Europe, the spread towards south-eastern Europe was slowed by social, cultural and political constraints. This was notable in the post-World War II era. The picture of change in this volume is presented by case studies of eleven countries ranging from the United Kingdom in the west to Romania in the east. All illustrate the role of food industries in creating new products that expanded the traditional cereal-based diet of pre-industrial Europe.
Industrially preserved and processed foods provided new flavours and appetizing novelties which led to brand names recognized by consumers everywhere. Product marketing and advertising became fundamental to modern food retailing so that
Europes largest food producers, Danone, Nestlé and Unilever are numbered amongst the worlds biggest companies.
Preface; Introduction; Part I The Origins and Growth of Industrial Organization; Pioneering spadework in the history of the German food industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries: beet sugar, wheat starch and health foods, Karl-Peter Ellerbrock and Hans-Jürgen Teuteberg; Vinegar and sugar: the early history of factory-made jams, pickles and sauces in Britain, Peter J. Atkins; Rural capitalism: the Société des Caves de Roquefort, from c. 1840 to1914, Sylvie Vabre; Modernizing the Mediterranean olive oil industry, 1850s-1930s, Ramon Ramon Munoz. Part II Creating New Foods: 'The biggest chocolate factory in the world: the Menier chocolate factory in Noisiel, Alain Drouard; Czech chocolate is the best! Nationalism in the food industry in the Czech lands around the year 1900, Martin Franc; Margarine in competition with butter in Germany (1872-1933): the example of Van den Berghs margarine factory in Kleve, Sabine Merta; The nutritional transformation of Danish pork, 1887-1960, Tenna Jensen; The rise of the frozen fish industry in Iceland and Norway: the case of fish fingers, Gudmundur Jonsson and Örn Jonsson. Part III The Effect of Food Technology on Consumption Patterns: Food labeling and packaging: the Dutch food industry: persuading and informing consumers, 1870-1950s, Adel P. den Hartog; Promoting packaging and selling selfservice - the rapid modernization of Swedish food retailing, Jenny Lee and Ulrike Torell; Food preservation in Flemish womens magazines, 1945-1960, Anneke Geyzen; The growth of bread consumption among Romanian peasants, 1950-1980, Lucian Scrob; From roast beef to chicken nuggets: how technology changed meat consumption in Britain in the 20th century, Derek J. Oddy; Commentary and summary; Index.