Tad Brown

This project explores the historical influence of chemistry on the changing oil profile of peanuts. It aims to contribute to the history of crop science and food studies by understanding how peanut breeding related to industrial production and marketing of processed foods. The emergence of food science is a significant yet understudied aspect of crop breeding for the modern food system. To date, scholars have examined the place of nutrition in the scientific management of state “welfare.” This study builds on existing literature by situating the history of peanut breeding within industrial demands for fats and oils. A global history of fats and oils in the 20th century is incomplete without attention to peanuts. The goal of the project is to investigate the influence of agricultural chemistry and laboratory studies on the oil content of peanut kernels. It questions how food manufacturing companies featured scientific knowledge in marketing campaigns.