Baking powder wars: the cutthroat food fight that revolutionized cooking

With this book, Linda Civitello traces the history of baking powder in the United States from the manufacture of monocalcium phospate – the first chemical leavener – in 1856, to the last innovation of the twenty-first century, useful to improve the amount of baked goods in the fast food market. In this extended period, particular emphasis is given to the role of baking powder entrepreneurs and companies from the end of the 19th to the first half of the 20th century. At the same time, Civitello determines the innovative role of baking powder, both in houses and bakeries. For this reason, the book is not only relevant for business historians, but it could be also and primarily categorised as a food history study.