1. As American As Budweiser and Pickles? Nation-Building in American Food Industries By Donna R. Gabbacia

2. Food as Culture Food is an integral part of every culture People identify with food and define themselves by traditional dishes Food is part of ethnic and racial diversity Most cultures have unique dishes that reflect their history and embody their way of life Food says something about the marketplace and industry of nations

3. American Culture… Oh Wait… Americans lack traditional/cultural foods unique to U.S It is how American food is produced, not how it tastes or where it originated that makes it “American” Global community considers mass- produced, processed and packaged foods to be American Definition of American food changed over time from barreled meats and condensed milk to Coca~Cola and Corn Flakes

4. American “Genius” for Business After 1840 transition from small farm producers to city dwelling consumers Food had to be transported to urban areas in mass quantities Opened opportunities for new industries such as agribusiness, processing and preserving on a large scale Easy to survive in food industry when demand is high and supply is low, little competition Industry opportunities open mostly to European Immigrants and U.S citizens, though not women or African Americans New “genius” American business of mass production that supports economy depends on foreigners entering and dominating food industry

5. Business Cont. Xenophobia defined what has become “American” in the food industry Multiculturalism had not yet become part of the American identity, and was not accepted, though citizens of foreign descent fueled the industry Kraft-Canadian Heinz- German Campbell’s, Kellogg’s, Dole, Post,-Anglo-American Industries dominated by at least third generation Anglo-Americans: Soft drinks, gum, fast-food Industries that put wealthy, second generation foreign immigrants in positions of power: Meat packing, sugar refining, retail groceries

6. Not So genius… Successful businesses did not rely on new innovations, but rather ideas and principals brought to U.S by immigrants Bilingual foreigners introduced and promoted technologies abroad Mass production technology came from Europe Busch Beer- pasteurized for shipping to U.S, tweaked recipe Different than beer in Germany, but appreciated in U.S Foreign based businesses used culturally neutral symbols instead of calling attention to their nationalities Standardized products found success on global market and were labeled as “American”

7. Alcohol Niche Alcohol was mostly foreign-produced in U.S Prohibition and the Second Great Awakening were detrimental to alcohol industry Not seen as American, associated with foreigners Foreigners initially had trouble working with and interpreting U.S government and market Became one of the largest food industries More common for foreigner to pass on family business to children than for Americans to do so

8. Busch and Heinz A tale of Two Successful Foreign Companies

9. Adolpus Busch Married into the Anheuser family, inherited run down brewery in germany- turned it into the largest brewery in the world Hurt by Great Depression in U.S Rich, but faced criticism for being the ‘strength’ of the prohibition movement Experimented with Budweiser to suit U.S Beer continued to be seen as foreign, but found a niche in the U.S Company stayed in family for four generations

10. H.J Heinz American born, second generation German Initial failure during depression Branched out into pre-prepared foods in cans Emphasized cleanliness, packed in glass jars until business got too big Emphasized humble roots Good publicity Passed on business to son

11. Growing Food Industry By 1880, two food industries were among the U.S’s top ten industries Milling and Brewing As other industries increased labor force, the food industry’s labor force declined Food industry did not conform to Big Business right away Two top food industries wouldn’t conglomerate Prohibition meant that brewing stayed on a local scale Foreign meat packers wouldn’t join National Packing Company Earliest food conglomerates Cereals, and canning

12. In Conclusion… Foreign influence ultimately shaped the food industry and defined our ideas of “American” cuisine Xenophobia produced some of the commodities which we hold dear- beer and pickles- and which we think of as “American” No real “American” food culture What does American food say about our history, culture, and tradition?