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Study Notes

Harvey Wiley and the Rise of Food Chemistry in America

Harvey Wiley was a chemist working at Purdue University in 1881, who became interested in analyzing food products and identifying their chemical components.
Wiley discovered that up to 90% of commercially sold honey and maple syrup in Indiana was fake, made of tinted corn syrup with a scrap of honeycomb thrown in.
The late 19th century saw unprecedented changes in the American diet due to the second industrial revolution, with advances in technology and railroads allowing for the expansion of all types of industry.
Industrial food manufacturing grew as cities swelled with new laborers and the nation's efforts to feed them sparked a boom.
Food manufacturers turned to the burgeoning chemical industry for answers on how to keep their products fresh for market at the lowest possible cost.
By 1901, companies like Dow and Monsanto had introduced a host of new chemicals to the food supply, including preservative discoveries, formaldehyde, and copper sulfate.
The American food supply was rife with chemicals and fakes, with no regulation on divulging ingredients on food labels.
Wiley was determined to investigate the American food industry and raise public awareness about the prevalence of fake food and chemical adulterants.
Wiley detected a host of chemical additives that manufacturers were routinely using to preserve their food, including formaldehyde, sodium benzoate, and borax.
Wiley was offended by corporate fraud and determined to use his science to raise public awareness, calling for labels, regulation, and standards.
Wiley's findings of fraud in the honey and syrup industry angered food manufacturers who had kept it a well-kept secret, and he made enemies.
Wiley's outspoken advocacy was unbecoming of Purdue University's faculty, and by 1882, he had worn out his welcome on campus and found himself a lone voice pitted against a powerful entrenched institution.

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Are you interested in the history of food regulation in America? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of Harvey Wiley and the rise of food chemistry in America. Discover how Wiley's scientific investigations revealed the prevalence of fake food and chemical adulterants in the early 1900s. Learn about the role of industrialization and technology in shaping the American diet and the challenges faced by Wiley in his quest for food regulation and standards. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge of the history of food in