HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 27 



In this country, as well as in Canada, Europe, Australia and 

 New Zealand, the condensed milk industry grew rapidly. Every 

 succeeding decade marked the organization of new companies 

 and the erection of new factories until today, there are milk_cqn- 

 densing factories in nearly every civilized country within the 

 dairy belt. 



The above figures may serve to emphasize the rapid growth 

 which the condensed milk industry in the United States has 

 enjoyed during the last decade. The total output of condensed 

 milk in 1919, both sweetened and unsweetened, but not includ- 

 ing "filled" condensed milk such as condensed goods modified 

 with vegetable fats, nor condensed buttermilk and uncondensed 

 sterilized canned milk, was 1,977,454,805 pounds, at an estimated 

 value of approximately $200.000,000. Calculating the ratio of 

 concentration at 2.5 to 1, this output represents the utilization 

 of approximately 4,944,000,000 pounds of fluid milk. In 1917, 

 when the total output of condensed milk was 975,000,000 pounds, 

 representing the utilization of about 2,437.000.000 pounds of 

 fluid milk, the total production of milk in the United States 

 was estimated at about 84,611,350,000 pounds of which 2.9 per 

 cent were manufactured into condensed milk. Reliable figures 

 are not as yet available of the total production of milk in the 

 United States for the year 1919. It is estimated however, to be 

 about 90,000,000,000 pounds. On the basis of the above esti- 

 mate, about 5.4 per cent of the total milk produced in the 

 United States during the year 1919 was manufactured in to con- 

 densed milk. 



A new and unprecedented impetus was given the condensed 

 milk industry in America by the advent of the World War. The 

 concentration of the product, its wholesomeness and high food 

 value, the serviceableness of its package and its great keeping- 

 quality rendered it indispensable as a food for the army and navy, 

 as well as for the civilian population of the warring nations in 

 its dire need for food. In this great crisis in which the food 

 supply of the nations of the earth was playing a most important 

 role, condensed milk has proved its worth and the demand for 

 this commodity has increased to tremendous proportions. This 

 demand has been readily responded to by the industry on the 

 American continent and has resulted in a vast increase of the 



