Grocery store items of old!

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norgeway

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Who besides me, thinks most of the products we bought in the 50s and 60s were by and large better than today, no matter if it was foodstuff or cleaning products, todays stuff just isn't the same, for instance, Aunt Jemima pancake mix is nothing like what it used to be, most flours are inferior to the real Red Band . White Lilly and Martha White , cake mixes are nothing like they used to be, and Log Cabin syrup was part real maple, not anymore! Eggs, poultry and meat had none of the hormones, antibiotics and preservatives in them that they have today, and ohh to be able to get Thompsons Fireside cornbread mix again, that's what both of my Grandmothers used, my Aunts used Ballards , which was good and you cant get anymore If my Grandmother had lived to see her beloved Red Band flour discontinued she would have quit cooking!LOL
 
I miss the time

when country sausage was simply pork, spices and nothing else. You could get pretty much any brand at the store back in the day and it was good eatin.
Now you get a gutful of MSG, BHT, BHA and god knows what all.

In other words, nasty.
 
Benjamin,

I thought Giant Eagles were of better quality foods.
What bothers me about todays stores, is the smell when I walk in. Like a dirty mop. That tells me the quality of help has declined, and management doesn't care.
I got to a small market that sells free range poultry, dairy, beef, and pork.
A lot can be told by the expressions of the employees faces. Happy family, happy, healthy store.
 
Mallo cups! Remember the Mallo cards inside them??
20 Mule borax. The whole house smelled like it. Still use it.
25 cent Pepsi from the feed n seed. Had to open the side door and pull hard to get it out of that darn machine!
Lil' balsa airplane in the clear plastic bag from the hardware store. 28 cents I think. Days of fun till we'd tape a firecracker to it!
Our grocery store in town would buy produce from you. Bushels of corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc..
 
I wasn't around in the 1950s and 1960s, but there is little doubt in my mind that many grocery items have deteriorated. Potential problems include heavy doses of pesticide, genetic engineering, heavy processing (often using chemicals that a chemistry major might not recognize!), and production speeds that are sped up when possible (not necessarily a health issue, but this does explain why mass market bread tastes terrible).

There is some hope with increasing interest in organic produce. In my market, one can even find frozen dinners and canned goods that are organic or at least a more natural product than mass market stuff.

Unfortunately, though, the mass market stuff, with names that may go way back into the 20th century, seems as awful as ever.

Of course, the better products do cost more. But two thoughts. First, as some point out, the real question should be why does the mass market crap cost so little? (Government subsidies is one explanation I've heard.) Secondly, as some point out, yes, organic is more expensive, but have you priced cancer recently? Thirdly, there is a point made about eggs--many of the same people who scream at $5 for local, high quality eggs won't bat an eye when dropping that much EACH DAY at Starbucks for a cup of coffee...
 
Great Topic

My Mom and I were talking about this exact topic the other night.  We talked about laundry products, food and such.  She was telling me that her laundry detergent and cleaning supplies would last for ages because she did not need to use as much as today. 

 

We also talked about food.  All of my Grandparents and Great Grandparents lived to their late 90's.  They were all in good physical shape.  None of them had heart problems or any major health problems.  None were on any medications prescribed by a Doctor.  They all ate whatever they wanted, never worrying about how much red meat they ate that week Vs. white meat or fish, or how they cooked it.  And we are talking about many a Fried Chicken cooked with Crisco!!!

 

Cancer is a big money maker in the USA.  It seems as though the Government allows food companies to experiment with the US citizens and see IF it is safe or not.  So many things that goes on with the Food Industry in the USA would never even be thought of in other countries. 

 

 
 
Brent,

I can't agree totally. In general, people are still living longer than our grand parents. yes, I know some farmers who ate butter, cream, eggs, and meat at every meal lived to be 90. Hard work burned off a lot. A problem today is also sedentary occupations. Extra cirricualr exrecise is detrimental.
Food additives can be harmfull, and some have been removed from our food supply, like red dye #4.
We all know nitrates are bad, but they are used to preserve shelf life, and prevent other food borne illnesses.
DDT accidentally got into cattle feed in the mid 70's, and yes, no doubt, there are cancer cases from it.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than cancer today. Neither are money makers when they stress the health insurance and care sectors.
Phramacuetical companies do make a profit on medications, but they also use them for research to find cures.
The latest of which is pig pancreatic cells for humans.
All things in life have positive and negative aspects.
 
I think food quality was definitely better back in the 50s and 60s.  Geez, I remember seeing the produce trucks that supplied the local Steinbergs and Dominion stores - they were all from farms in and around the Island of Montreal!  So, the principle of buying local isn't a new concept after all... 

 

I still remember some of the prepared foods that actually tasted like something too - Kraft's Miracle French salad dressing is something I miss sorely every summer (but I do have a recipe that comes pretty darn close) and as a brat, I used to really like the Lipton's noodle dishes like Goulash, Stroganov, and Romanov.    The Lipton brand name has pretty much vanished from the Canadian grocery sphere now, alas.  
 
Laundry / Dishwasher Detergents: Today's detergents, featuring advanced, multiple-enzyme formulas, are hard to beat for stain removal. I'd give today's top brands the edge in actual cleaning power in both the washing machine and the dishwasher.

Having said that, I would pay top-dollar to have Tide's original scent from the 1960's back again! One of my favorite olfactory memories is the Kenmore pumping hot sudsy water from the first load of whites into the suds-save tub. It was heavenly.

Judging by the comments upthread, it seems many of us prefer the 'classic' scents for quite a number of products over the flowery/fruity/cheap perfume scents we are treated to today.
 
Carmel covered granola bars, that I don't remember the name of--and maybe they were discontinued to make 'em more nutricious by NOT coating 'em with that--well, there are chocolate-coated ones you occasionally see, but to me nowhere near the same...

And those were great with a glass of Faygo Rock 'N' Rye! (That was the best way that I had 'em...)

 

 

-- Dave
 
and Towne Club pop,

Brach's candy, especially the chocolate covered bridge mix, and sanders bumpy cakes. Voortmans cookies you could buy by the pound.
Farrel's Ice cream parlor.
 

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