Pablum
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Pablum was a cereal for infants marketed by the Mead Johnson Corporation. The trade name is a contracted form of the Latin word pabulum meaning 'foodstuff'; the two words are now often confused. Invented in 1930 by three Canadian pediatricians Frederick Tisdall, Theodore Drake, and Alan Brown, Pablum marked a breakthrough in nutritional science. Although it was not the first food designed and sold specifically for babies, it was more popular and successful than prior products in an era when infant malnutrition was still a major problem in industrialized countries.
Pablum was made from a mixture of ground and precooked wheat, oat, and corn meals as well as bone meal, yeast, and alfalfa. It provided minerals and vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E while being palatable, easily digestible, and not causing side effects like diarrhea or constipation.
A royalty on every package sold went to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where doctors Tisdall, Drake and Brown practiced. The Pablum brand was later acquired by Heinz, and as of [2005, Pablum cereals are no longer being produced.
Other usage
In lower case, the word pablum is often used to indicate anything bland or oversimplified, especially a work of literature or speech. This usage is thought to derive from the cereal. In Canada, "pablum" remains as a generic reference to any instant baby cereal.See also
External links
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