NEW ZEALAND DIET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 284, 29 November 1940, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND DIET.

EXPERT'S OPINION. TALK TO FOOD VALUE LEAGUE. "Dietetic errors in New Zealand food mu-t be proved," said Dr. Muriel Bell, nutrition expert to the Health Department. in a talk 011 the diet of Xew Zealand to members of the Women"?. Food Value at their annual meeting held in the Fabian rooms last night. They must be proved, continued Dr. Bell, in two ways —first, from the Year Book, which showed that the composition of sugar was too high, and also that the consumption of meat was too high. Not, she added, that meat was not required, but that its consumption tended to displace sutiicient milk, the consumption of which was too low. Secondly, dietetic errors must be proved from the Dietary .Survey which had b-.'en made in Ihe Mi-dical Research IVpartmcnt of the (►t.-igo .Medical School, which -bowed i * li.it tin- 11 r 1 ><i ii consumption of milk \\aloo low. I Dr. Hell advocated a greater use o' milk and clice~e both from the mitri tion and financial points of view. The over-high consumption of butter in country must be investigated, she said, to see if it had any healing on the lowstate of the national health. She ho|ved the greater use of milk and cheese would strongly lie advocated by the Kood Vlllue Ijeauuc, because of their many healthgiving properties. Goitre in Young Girls. The number of adolescent girls in the Dominion suffering from goitre was commented on by Dr. Bell, who attributed it is lack of iodine. Our sale was not sufficiently iodised, she said, and a regulation had been brought in to give the public adequately iodised salt. Soon this would lie the standard salt on the market and uniodised salt would have to be specially a>ked for. By this me<ins it was hoped that there would be a reduction of goitre in the next generation at any rate. Kiglit drops of tincture of iodine in an eight-ounce liottle of water, taking a teaspoonful a day, gave (sufficient quantity of iodine for the body. The shortage of iron and a calcium deficiency was shown by the incidence of anaemia in basic wage earners, said the speaker. A shortage of vitamin 0 and B1 was suspected. Dr. Bell put down dental caries to a shortage of several things, and not any one particular thing. She stated that the Nutrition Council and the Wheat Beesaich Institute was trying to improve the bread of the country. At the annual meeting, the report of which was published in last night's 'Star," tli o fallowing officers were elected: President, Miss A. L. Louduti; vice-presidents, Mrs. A. K. Turner. Mrs. M. Martin-Smith and Miss Mnindonald; secretary. Mr<s. N. H. flood; treasurer, Mrs. F. V. Senn; committee. Mrs. S. B. Bat ley. Dr. Barbara Roche, Mrs. L. E. Titheridge, Mrs. E. C. Webber and Miss E. Frascr.