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

2. Naturalization of Mass-Marketed Baby Food • Gerber • Origins • Development • Early Marketing • Rite of Passage

3. Influencing Factors • Industrialization • Mass Production • Advertising • Vitamins • Changing notions of the body • Science as authority • Medicalization of childcare

4. Pre-Gerber • 95% breast-fed “wet-nursed” • Few “dry-nursed” • Expert Advice • Breast milk first year • Meat damaging • Fruits and vegetables 2-3 years

5. 1920’s • Changing American diets due to manufacture of canned goods • Science as ultimate authority • Medicalization of motherhood • Breast-feeding inadequate • Formula easier for doctors to regulate

6. Advertising • “Nestle’s Milk Food: Baby’s Friend” • “Imperial Granum: The Incomparable Food for the Growth and Protection of Infants and Children” • “Wells, Richardson, and Company’s Lactated Food: A Scientific Food for Infants and Invalids” • “Wagner’s Infant Food: Infants and Children fed on Wagner’s Infant Food are remarkable for muscular strength, firmness of flesh, and a lively and intelligent appearance” • “Mellin’s Food for Infants and Invalids: The only perfect substitute for Mother’s Milk”

7. Shifting Diets • Larger role of fruits and vegetables • Solid foods introduced 6 months or later • Additional liquids – orange juice, broths, gruel • 1933 study of feeding practices • 60% received orange juice in first 3 months • Cereal 7.5 months • Fruits 8.1 months • Vegetables 9.4 months • Egg 10 months • Meat 11.6 months • Fish 12.1 months

8. Creation of Gerber • 1927 • Mrs. Dan Gerber • Freemont Canning Company • Make strained vegetables and fruits along with regular line of canned produce • Purity and trustworthiness

9. Naturalization of Gerber • 1950’s majority of mothers not breast-feeding at all • “If a little is good, a lot must be better” • Memorable packaging almost as important as product • Commercially prepared foods superior • 1930 advertising • Purity and wholesomeness • Convenience and modernity • Scientific efficiency

10. Convincing Dieticians • Journal of American Dietetics Association • Gerber advertisements in monthly issues • Promoting Gerber baby food as scientifically prepared and thus free of contaminants, vitamin-filled, healthy and wholesome food for infants • Advance idea that Gerber’s canned fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and as fresh as home prepared foods and even more appropriate since so scientifically prepared

11. Convincing Mothers • Women’s freedom and mobility • “The new Gerber Products make Mother and Baby alike independent of the kitchen’s restrictions. Baby can really travel now.” • Couldn’t provide same quality • “Square Meals for Baby…and better for him than vegetables you could prepare yourself with ten times the work!” • Woman’s relationship with husband • From charming wife to tired mother • Idea young infants need solid food • Ages in advertisements • Gerber Baby

12. Conclusion • Advocate early introduction of baby food • Ideal time – fit into society shaped by technology and modernity • The more the better and the earlier the better