Filled with boundless energy, Wallach not only mastered chores on the farm but also found time to participate actively in the Boy Scouts, earning enough merit badges to qualify himself for the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. He then capitalized on that achievement by choosing as his scouting vocation, work with veterinarians at the St. Louis research and feed facilities of the Ralston Purina Company. While at Ralston Purina, he learned that the animal feed formulations used by the company were carefully selected based on scientific evidence linking vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids to a lessened incidence of disease and favorable health outcomes. He wondered whether that same approach might not be tried successfully in people. He was vexed by the fact that people seemed to eat based on taste alone without regard to ingesting the right kind and amount of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fats, yet farmers treated the animals better than humans, by Wallach’s estimation, because the farming industry had become adept at ensuring that animals had diets precisely tailored to maximize their good health.
