"The Miracle Cream from the Soybean"
I was motivated to research and write this article by my memories of the giant roadside Presto Whip cans that I marveled at as a boy.
A cream alternative
Bob Rich was a former dairy man from New York who was working as a consultant for the federal government monitoring milk production in the Great Lakes region. During World War II whipping cream sales were prohibited and dairy products were rationed.
A purchasing agent from Ford Hospital in Detroit explained to Rich that their entire supply of milk and cream was produced in Dearborn by Henry Ford's Carver Laboratory from soybeans. Rich was astonished as he had never heard of anyone producing milk from plants.
Rich visited the Carver institute and saw how Ford was isolating soy proteins for a number of different applications from car parts to food. The enterprising Rich was able to license the process for $1 a year from Ford.
1944 – Bob Rich forms Rich Products Corporation and develops one of the world's earliest and most popular commercial food products to use isolated soy protein as a significant ingredient--Rich's Whip Topping.
Delsoy
1945 – “Bob Smith (a former Ford researcher) and Herbert Marshall Taylor introduced Delsoy, a soymilk-based non-dairy whip topping. Made in Dearborn, it was sold mostly in Detroit to the restaurant trade. In the spring of 1945 it was introduced through retail stores in New York. “
Presto-Whip
1946 - Delsoy modified Chicago's Super Whip co's nitrous and valve design to create Presto Whip, the first soy based product in a pressurized can (with valve) of any food product. “Delsoy was America's earliest known commercial non-dairy whip topping. But it never became a very successful product. In part because it was not a frozen food, its distribution was limited to the Detroit area.”
Delsoy Products and Distributors and its successor operated out of a site at 2023 South Telegraph, at Harvard Street, Dearborn, Mi.
1963 – Delsoy is purchased by Harvey Whitehouse of Whitehouse Products Inc.
Sometime in the late 1960’s Whitehouse could not get permits to erect new storage tanks at the facility. Instead thery got permits to erect two large 30 foot Presto Whip signs with valves on their bottoms. These were placed conspicuously on Telegraph road and also helped to advertise this locally manufactured product.
Today
Sadly the original cans came down sometime during the ‘80’s, likely 1983 at the time Whitehouse Products, along with the Presto Whip trademark were sold to C.J. Christoff and sons of Lowell Michigan.
Sources: http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/rich_products.php
My grandpa, "Harvey" Whitehouse purchased Delsoy, his name was not "Bob." He was one of the finest gentlemen to walk the face of this earth. Very lucky to have been his granddaughter. Miss him so much to this very day.
ReplyDeleteI am Robert A Smith's son, Grant. I knew your grandad as he would show me around the plant and explain how things worked. I worked for him for a summer as I was finishing high school.
ReplyDeleteThe Presto Whip cans were not built as a advertising promotion except in the legal sense. As the company was expanding there was a need for more storage for liquid raw material ingredients. They could not get a permit to build the storage tanks so they applied for and got a permit to erect two large signs with a valve at the bottom.
Hi Grant! It's Marilyn Vanderhagen!
DeleteMy family lived across the street from your family at Beechwood in Garden City, Mi. Do you remember us? I remember your Dad, Roberta, Norma and you. I loved your family growing up.
I was very surprised to read your post.