Should a discussion examining the historical aspect of things begin with “Once upon a time…†or some other fairy tale teaser? No, because most inventions grew from ideas that were not a “once†event. Did you have milk on your cereal this morning? At some point in history somebody decided not only that this combination would be tasty, but that morning would be an appropriate time to enjoy it. Just in that one daily occurrence in many lives we have a story that should begin, “Thrice upon a time…†because somebody invented breakfast time, cereal, and stumbled upon the use of cows’ milk for human consumption.
Once upon a time, somebody looked at a calf nursing from the mother cow and wondered what it would be like to taste that elixir of life that fattened up the fledgling animal. It would grow and thrive until it could eat other stuff just like its mother. If it is good for animals, it just might be the long sought-after secret of long life for human beings as well. Imagination overflows with the courage of the early pioneers in the discovery of milk. Many of these early adopters… in an age before technology, logical reasoning, and smartness… no doubt lost their lives being kicked in the head by cows that were violated by the mouths of these two-legged beasts. They were stealing food from their offspring! In true Darwinian fashion, those innovators that learned to keep their heads out of the way of cow hooves were the ones to fashion new ways of providing the tasty liquid. Maybe the invention of the bucket and stool were spin-off by-products of the milking discovery.
As with any innovation that becomes commonplace among people, the simple production of the product itself did not stop until there was the accidental discovery of butter and cheese. Anything this good ultimately creates demand that can only be solved by someone inventing a way to make the process much more complex. Mass extraction and production of these products also grew a political fringe element bent on destruction of the industry. They demanded that it be made safer to consumers. Radical politician Louis Pasteur lobbied for approval to use his exclusive “pasteurization†process to render the product relatively inert. Others responded by seeking to produce milk from soy, rice, or chemicals in an effort to simulate the product and eliminate the dirty old cow. The health food industry was born.
So the act of pouring milk into a bowl of Cheerios is not just a simple breakfast thing. It is a tradition that has been handed down by generations of innovative people with our health [and their profits] in their hearts. Cheers, Cheerios! By the way, who decided that you should be round?
Â
Image credit: tratong / 123RF Stock Photo