Another very good book to read from that era is the classic 1906 novel The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, which exposed the corruption of the US meat packing industry. There are still a lot of parallels to today, unfortunately.

Tina — Fermenting sugar creates alcohol, which destroys good gut bacteria & enzymes and causes bad bacteria to multiply. The fermenting of vegetables & dairy creates lots of beneficial bacteria & enzymes used to preserve the food & keep your digestion in good working order.

Shannon — I feel you pain. I know several people who grew up on old-fashioned dairy farms, eating & drinking the freshest foods imaginable. Then they were sold on industrial foods not only by convenience, but by the promises of modern science. They’re a generation of people with implicit trust in science — doctors, pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, technology. Anything science declares can not be questioned, but must be whole heartedly embraced. Never mind that all these scientists are simply — like anyone in any industry — out to turn a profit, not necessarily look out for the best interests of individuals. Never mind that these scientists ONLY make money when you’re SICK, so they have a vested interest in keeping you that way! Never mind that science isn’t as objective as enlightenment idealists hoped it would be, and is as subjective as the people designing the experiments and interpreting the results. So, if science says margarine is safer, healthier, and more nourishing for you then butter, then by golly it is! Truly tragic.

And as for the current legislation that is meant to “protect” us and keep our food supply safe, I wish we could go back to the (simpler and stricter) PFDA of 1906, which was a response to the atrocities uncovered by Teddy Roosevelt and Upton Sinclair. The contradictions and loopholes in the FFDCA of 1938 (and it’s subsequent amendments) range from troubling to downright alarming! What’s sad, though, is that food is the most closely regulated of the bunch. But because we have a reactionary government, stricter standards and safety measures are (usually) only approved after something tragic happens.
.-= ChicaGoinGreen

Kristin, I have a question about the above quote. Fermenting sugar is bad but fermented foods and drinks are good. I know there is a difference but can you explain what it is, please?

Thanks!