Inventing Baby Food: Gerber and the Discourse of Infancy in the United States

1. Inventing Baby Food: Gerber and the Discourse of Infancy in the United States (Amy Bentley) By: Michaela Frank

2. Gerber’s Beginning • In the late 1920’s- 1950’s • American Academy advocates the nursing of infants up to 2 years with the introduction of solids at 4-6 months old • Social and economic changes due to industrialization, mass production and advertising • Helped spur the introduction of solid foods to infants at younger ages

3. History of the Bottle • Late 19th century Americans turned to science as the ultimate authority. • There was a “medicalization of motherhood” during this “chemical period” • Resulting in the promotion and advertisement of infant formula products such as: • “Nestle’s Milk Food: Baby’s Friend” • “Mellin’s Food for Infants and Invalids: The only perfect substitute for Mother’s Milk”

4. The Times Are Changing • 1920’s introduction of commercially produced canned goods that were affordable for all • Made possible by advertising firms, popularity of magazines and newspapers, and increased population and literacy. • Scientists’ discovery of vitamins increased emphasis on the importance of a healthy diet. • “Advice manuals” such as Foods and Home Making, by Carlotta C. Greer

5. So the story goes… • 1927 Mrs. Dan Gerber, wife of Fremont Canning Company tried to strain peas for her infant. The job was tedious and time-consuming sparking the idea that the canning company could do it. By 1928, the company was profiting off of “authentic…woman’s ingenuity transforming child-rearing in the U.S.” • Gerber became the exclusive producers of baby foods

6. Beating out the competition • Gerber did vary well during the depression years expanding their production to include toddler foods and cereals • 1930: 842,000 cans of baby food produced • 1931: 1,311,500 cans • 1932: 2,259,818 cans of baby food • By 1935 Gerber maintained dominance over the competitors, Beech-Nut, Heinz, and Libby’s

7. The Gerber Baby • Gerber symbolizes “quality and trustworthiness” • Drawing by: Dorothy Hope Smith, and adopted as official trademark in 1931. http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/bogart1.asp

8. Advertising schemes • Less spending during the Great Depression and suspicions about canned food quality prompted Gerber to “acclimate and familiarize people with the manner in which baby food was packaged”. • Memorable branding became essential • Advertising was directed at mothers and used health professionals as campaigners • Gerber successfully marketed its products as wholesome, convenient, modern and scientific.

9. Promotion using Dieticians • Skepticism over canned foods still persisted in the 1930’s • The ADA became influential in promoting Gerber products as “scientifically prepared and thus free of contaminants, vitamin-filled, healthy and wholesome food for infants” • The ADA journals included research “funded by Gerber” proving the safety of their canned baby foods

10. Convincing Mothers • Gerber placed ads in leading women’s magazines like Ladies Home Journal • Common practice: “advertisement urged women to send in one dollar for a set of Gerber foods, and asked them to provide the name of their grocer, whom Gerber would then persuade to carry their products.” • Gerber later emphasized the “Freedom” aspects of their foods focusing on the independence from kitchen restrictions for mother and baby • Gerber also had ads stating mothers can’t make food as nutritious as Gerber and to “serve them (Gerber foods) for baby’s sake” • Another add focused on the husband- wife relationship

11. Results of Gerber’s Ads • It resulted in a mothers lack of confidence to take care of their infant • Earlier introduction of solid foods to infants • The Gerber Baby: “gives the implicit impression that babies this young should be eating solid foods” • Gerber’s competitors also used younger and younger infants for their ads “While the early introduction of solids might not necessarily help infants, neither would it harm them”