A. Davis etc. was Cat Food (OT)

[Shannon Nelson]

Tanya, were they (I know nothing about Carlton Fredericks, so I guess
I'm particularly curious about Adele Davis) once vegetarians, or why do
you consider their advocacy of organ meats a "caving in"? Really, some
of us *do* apparently need meat, and organ meats have much to recommend
them, and humans *have* been eating meat for... um, would that be "tens
of thousands of years", perhaps? It's hardly a new fad, and hardly an
invention of "agribusiness"...

(As I recall, Davis' main thing about powdered milk was as a calcium
source; she was very big on calcium, tho I certainly disagree with the
idea that powdered milk is a useful source of that--or anything else!)
Now every error is made with "ill intent; I would bet that on that
point she was simply *mistaken*, probably because she did not have the
problems tolerating it that (for instance) I do, and it *sounds* like a
good idea...?

[Tanya Marquette]

my recollection is that they both were promoting more
vegetarian diets. the meat assoc threatened to destroy
them if they didn't support meat eating. organ meats
represented a compromise for them. in those days
they were also very cheap meats. some people may
remember the days when people went to a butcher
and asked for the organs for their cats because they
were embarassed to say it was for them and their
families. these nutritionists began to promote them
as healthy foods and prices began to climb once they
became 'mainstream.' i know this is a very brief statement,
but essentially that is what happened.

as for calcium/powdered milk: again one needs to put it
in perspective with the entire gestalt of the culture at that
time. coming out of the depression and then the war--
both deprivation times and times of scarcity; very low
incomes for many people; the 'new ' technology of food
processing that was beginning that everyone was enamored
with, etc, etc. and of course mftrs touting the wonders of
processed food as being equal to that of the real thing.

remember the dynamics that turned people off to breast
feeding--it was a status thing for those who could afford bottled
milk. or white bread instead of the brown, homemade
stuff--same issue. store bought, manufactured, bleached
white became synonomous with clean and good and pure.

tanya

tanya

[Shannon Nelson]

For the *most* part she was certainly not a promoter of processed
food...
Interesting history, tho--thanks.

[Tanya Marquette]

history is so important to keep things in perspective, don't
you think? i find it fascinating when trying to connect the dots
of how we got to where we are.

tanya