Tag: Food processing history

After World War II, innovations spurred by military rations and growing consumerism led to a rapid increase in the availability of highly processed foods, paving the way for what we now call ultra-processed food. While food processing has ancient roots, the widespread shift toward complex industrial formulations is a relatively recent development.

Food processing has a long history, but widespread industrial processing began in earnest during the Industrial Revolution. This shift changed how food was produced, distributed, and consumed.

Neural tube defects dropped by over 25% in the U.S. in the years following mandatory fortification, sparking interest in when they started fortifying grains with folic acid. The process began in the late 1990s as a critical public health initiative to reduce the risk of severe birth defects.