Lloyd Hall (1894 – 1971) – Vitamin concentrate, antioxidant salt, and asphalt emulsion
Lloyd Hall, an African American chemist, was born in Illinois in June 1894. His grandmother was a formerly enslaved person who came to the city with the assistance of the Underground Railroad. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1916 and worked at Griffith’s Laboratories.
Hall was a brilliant inventor, holding 59 U.S. patents and several others in different countries. His most significant inventions include a vitamin concentrate, an antioxidant salt, nitrogen-fortified whey concentrate, a method for preserving frozen pork, a gelatin-based coating for food products, and an asphalt emulsion. His contributions to food preservation and safety have significantly impacted the industry, making food safer and more accessible worldwide.