Civil Defense All Purpose Survival Crackers

Date: c.1960

Created By: National Bisquick Co.

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency

Collection: IKEducation

An early version of the survival cracker project was launched in 1955 by President Eisenhower’s Federal Civil Defense Administration. Named “Grandma’s Pantry,” under the justification that Grandma was always prepared for unexpected company, the program called for each household to have a ready supply of food and water in case of attack. In response, the Eisenhower administration looked to develop a food that was nutritious, cheap, easy to eat, shelf-stable, and reproducible on a mass scale. All other attributes, including taste, would be disregarded in favor of the ultimate survival food, one that could be stored underground indefinitely. The general public began to stock up on such products, like this tin of Survival Crackers.