FOOD ECONOMY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 6

FOOD ECONOMY

AUSTRALIAN CONCERN

CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN

(By Telegraph—Press .Association—Copyright.)

(Special Australian Correspondent.) (Rec. 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 20. (Rec. 1 p.m.) SYDNEY. May 20.

For the first time in its history Australia is gravely concerned about something it has always taken for granted—its food. The Commonwealth Food Council, set up to ensure that Australia's food resources would be used to the best, advantage, is now holding its first sitting. The Commonwealth has plenty of food while the war lasts, according to the Federal Supply Minister (Mr. Beasley), if its food resources are used right. The problem of the right use of those resources has been exercising the best scientific brains in Australia.

"If the war has done nothing else. it has given us tremendously valuable knowledge about drying, storing, and canning our foods," says the official food preservation division of the Department pf Jcientific and Industrial Research. "For instance, before the war vegetable.canning was only in it* infancy. Now Australia is canning not only the peas of pre-war days, bul potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, spinach, and silver beet, and canning them well." All this involved a great deal of research. Vegetables differ in their reaction to canning. The linings of tins must be varied to suit the vegetables. The same vegetables grown under different climatic conditions require different treatments.

Researches have also been made -in the dehydration of foods. Cabbages, onions, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes have been so preserved, and their weight reduced to as little a* nnetwentieth. The methods are now so thorough that thirty-five sheep are boiled down and packed into one gasoline drum, without loss of vitamin and calorie t content. Edibility is restored by merely adding boiling water. SEA RESOURCES. Australia is also investigating sea food resources previously unexploited. The estimated destruction of fish offal [has lost the Commonwealth 50,000 gallons of fish oil a year, worth £30,000. Plants to secure this oil are to be erected. The food value of shark oil is now recognised. ■ The oil is even being added to the margarine used by Commonwealth troops. The oil resources of the shark industry, with the addition of certain vitamins, are expected to supply all Australia's needs for stock foods.

After eighteen months of research a Sydney firm is now undertaking the commercial production of agar from seaweed. Several effective substitutes have been found for canned salmon, principally mackerel, kingfish, and mullet. Salmon, now unprocurable, was formerly used as the basis of all Australian fish pastes.

Experiments have also been . made in fortifying and enriching foods. For instance, jam sent to prisoners of war in Germany is enriched by the addition of an anti-scorbutic vitamin which compensates for the lack of green vegetables. The backyard vegetable garden is held to be the key to the problem of Australia's food supplies. A campaign is now under, way to ensure wider household planting of vegetables as well as their correct preparation for consumption. In the time of peace the vyastage of food, values through incorrect preparation is regarded as unfortunate; it has flow become a matter of national. importance. Housewives are advised: "Eat what you can raw; steam what you must cook, and if you must boil some things, save the water for soup stock. Use the tops of vegetables. Even carrot and parsnip tops are good for soup. Before you throw away any food, be sure it can't be used."

Even soldiers in suitable camps are to have their own vegetable gardens.