Food For Thought Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gerber Baby Food

Gerber Products Company was founded in Michigan in 1927 by Daniel Gerber, who already owned a food canning company. His infant daughter, Sally, required specially-made food, and his wife spent long hours in the kitchen preparing it. He had the idea that mothers everywhere might appreciate a nutritious, ready-made food for their babies.

No, it wasn't Sally who became the Gerber baby; it was Anna Turner Cook. The company determined that her hand-drawn picture, submitted by a neighbor, had great advertising appeal. The image was trademarked in 1931, and is still found on products today. Cook passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 after a successful career of teaching and writing books.

Answer: Guacamole

A condiment is a spice, sauce, or any food that is added to an already-prepared dish to enhance its flavor. The report by "Money.co.uk" was based on research information from thirty-five of the world's wealthiest countries.

Guacamole is believed to have emerged as the favorite due to its popular use on healthy avocado toast, as well as other dishes like tortilla chips. Mayonnaise took second place in the survey, while salsa was third. The most popular branded condiment was Nutella.

Answer: 97 percent

Countries have a variety of standards for what it means for coffee, cacao, and tea to be decaffeinated, but in the United States the standard is 97%. Yikes! After learning about the decaf process, it's a wonder that anyone would like to drink decaffeinated beverages!

One process, called the direct method, uses a steaming process on coffee beans that employs the use of acids or bases and then uses benzene to remove the caffeine. The Swiss Water process seems a bit safer, and only uses water to decaffeinate the beans.

There is currently an experiment taking place in Brazil, where growers are breeding plants called Decaffito that produce beans with little or no caffeine. Also, some varieties have been found that naturally do not contain little or no caffeine.

Answer: Oreo

Wow! Do you really look at the design on your cookies before you eat them?! The idea for the Oreo cookie was actually borrowed from a brand called Hydrox that was originally marketed in 1908. It was so popular that National Biscuit Company, now Nabisco, began to sell their own version of the sandwich cookie in 1912; it was originally called an Oreo Biscuit, and was decorated with the name in the center surrounded by a wreath.

The current design of the cookie shows the name "Oreo" in the center surrounded by the Nabisco logo, which is called the Cross of Lorraine, and represents the European symbol of quality. There are twelve symbols around the name which resemble the Cross Patee, which was used by the Knights Templar. Some people today believe these twelve symbols represent a four-leaf clover. The origin of the name, however, still remains a mystery.

Answer: Tan

And, yes! That is how the name is written! M&M's are manufactured in the United States, however, the idea for the candy was actually borrowed from the British-made "Smarties" that Forrest Mars Sr. saw being used during the Spanish Civil War. They were especially efficient for use by soldiers because they were a small treat, easily carried in a pocket, that had a hard outside coating which prevented the candy from melting. The "M's" stand for Mars and Murrie, from Hershey Chocolates, who had a share in the development of the product; a patent for the candy was received in 1941.

Did you know that the shells of M&M's were originally red, yellow, green, brown, and purple? The red ones were discontinued in the 1970s due to concern over the red dye used. It was later written that consumers were never in danger from eating red M&M's. In 1995 the company allowed people in the United States to vote regarding a color change. Did consumers want to replace the tan color with the purple that had been discontinued in 1949, or choose a new color? That is how blue M&M's were added to the mix.

Answer: 4.5 lbs

Specifically the law says, "Ice cream shall contain at least 1.6 pounds of total solids to the gallon, weigh not less than 4.5 pounds to the gallon, and contain not less than 20% total milk solids...."

Why is there a law about this? Well, it has to do with making sure that the main ingredient in ice cream is NOT air! It must contain the 20% milk solids mentioned above and have at least 10% milk fat. While air is used to mix the ingredients, the laws limits exactly how much air can be used.

And, if there is not 10% milk fat or 20% milk solids, then the ice cream must be labeled differently, such as low fat, reduced fat, or nonfat, for example.

Answer: Strawberry

Many sources credit Dolley with the invention of strawberry ice cream! Since ancient times strawberries were believed to have medicinal properties, so maybe she thought she was serving healthy, yummy food! It certainly sounds more appetizing that her reported favorite ice cream dish, which included oysters from the Potomac River! Yuck! But without modern refrigeration, the making of ice cream took a special method and was surely everyone's favorite treat!

Strawberries are classified as a multiple fruit, one that actually contains many small fruits in one container, so to speak! If you look at one, you will see lots of small seeds; each is really a fruit with a seed inside. Today we know that strawberries are very nutritious, containing Vitamin C and even seem to help reduce levels of cholesterol.

Don't forget! January 15 is Strawberry Ice Cream Day!

Answer: 87 Percent

Whole milk consists of approximately 87% water and 13% other solids, such as protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. It is a fine source of protein, calcium, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, potassium, and Vitamin A, as well as Vitamin D, which is added during the processing.

Other types of milk, such as low fat or skim milk, have had the milk fat removed, and therefore, contain fewer calories. One way or the other, milk is an excellent source of nutrition. Don't forget, "It does a body good"!

Answer: Bingo

Cracker Jack is oh so yummy with the popcorn, caramel, and peanuts. Was it the first junk food? Some people think it was! The origin of the snack is unknown, but the name "Cracker Jack" and its slogan were first registered in 1896. And the slogan is true! "The more you eat, the more you want"!

The trademark logos of the treat, Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo, were first seen in 1916. The boy is believed to have been Robert, the grandson son of Frederick Rueckheim, who eventually formed Rueckheim Brothers & Eckstein to manufacture the tasty treat. Eckstein was the designer of the wax package, which kept the Cracker Jack fresh. He insisted that his adopted dog, Russell, be put on the package, but under the name Bingo.

The name of the business was changed in 1922 to The Cracker Jack Company, which has changed hands many times since 1964.

Answer: Chase and Sanborn

In the early 1720s, the French began selling ground coffee in either greased leather or paper that had been treated with beeswax on the outside, presumably to help preserve its flavor. In the United States, it was typically sold in a variety of pots or jars by the 1790s. Consumers were told that it would last about a year in this packaging. By the 1860s it could be found in foil paper, but it was also about that time that paper bags were used because they seemed to be a bit cleaner and healthier.

Chase and Sanborn, located in Boston, Massachusetts, sold their coffee in sealed tins by 1878. The larger cans were sealed with lead (!) and the smaller cans were sealed with the label. Chase and Sanborn coffee can still be purchased today, however, the company has changed hands several times since 1929.