Pasteurization had yet to become widely adopted. In the 1850s, Americans could consume milk only as it was raw. A devoutly religious entrepreneur named Gail Borden saw the disastrous consequences of this failure in sanitation up close during his efforts to market a different product, a dried meat biscuit he promoted at the 1851 London World’s Fair. On the ship voyage home to New York, he could not help but notice the dairy cows aboard the vessel for the passengers. Drinking the raw milk made many of the children sick; some died.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Gail Borden and Condensed Milk
Stuart K. Hayashi
Pasteurization had yet to become widely adopted. In the 1850s, Americans could consume milk only as it was raw. A devoutly religious entrepreneur named Gail Borden saw the disastrous consequences of this failure in sanitation up close during his efforts to market a different product, a dried meat biscuit he promoted at the 1851 London World’s Fair. On the ship voyage home to New York, he could not help but notice the dairy cows aboard the vessel for the passengers. Drinking the raw milk made many of the children sick; some died.
Returning to his laboratory in New York, Borden experimented with boiling milk at 212 º F to disinfect it. This always resulted in his milk ending up burnt and tasting horrible. Undaunted, he finally gained new inspiration upon visiting a colony of members of the Shaker religious order. He saw the Shakers boil their fruits in a special vacuum pan to dehydrate them. Everything else being equal, liquids boil at reduced temperatures when they are in an environment of lower pressure. Borden took to boiling milk in a similar vacuum pan, now able to do so at 136 º F without the burning the milk. Another effect was that it could be preserved over time, not being subject to spoilage.
The entrepreneur continued experimenting with different designs for vacuum pans. Upon devising one that was especially functional, he patented it in 1856. According to Vintage News, Borden’s technique at preservation “saved thousands of children and men.”
From his business choices, Borden had amassed assets worth over $100,000 — $2.7 million today.
Pasteurization had yet to become widely adopted. In the 1850s, Americans could consume milk only as it was raw. A devoutly religious entrepreneur named Gail Borden saw the disastrous consequences of this failure in sanitation up close during his efforts to market a different product, a dried meat biscuit he promoted at the 1851 London World’s Fair. On the ship voyage home to New York, he could not help but notice the dairy cows aboard the vessel for the passengers. Drinking the raw milk made many of the children sick; some died.
