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BRITAIN'S FOOD

C The Changing Diet \ TIGHTENING RESTRICTIONS (Published by Arrangement with the ‘‘Christian Science Monitor,**) , [By JOHN ALLAN MAY.] S Britain’s changing diet is discussed in this article. Since it was written ■ \ rationing has been considerably extended.

LONDON, June 10. Formation yesterday of a committee under Sir William Bragg to calculate accurately the nation’s food requirements and the recent establishment of some 800 self-contained “counties” each with its own full stocks of essential foods are two of the recent measures which have made Mr and Mrs John Bull breathe a sigh of relief. For to speak quite openly, they have been perhaps a little anxious about the effect of intensified war upon their larder. The new committee under Sir William not only will determine the food requirements, but also will discover means of filling these requirements. The self-contained “counties” were announced recently, by Lord Woolton, Minister for Food, in a recent account of the Government’s emergency food plans. Both measures have allayed to a large extent uneasiness on the part of many Britons. One of the main reasons for uneasiness has been the fact that up to the present the average British family is doing markedly well in the matter of food? well enough to be alternate!} amused and not amused at the habit or good friends overseas to ship them a parcel of food now and again, Mong with a covering note sympathising that the food situation should be so dif°Such actions have caused sharp editorials in the press, questions in Parliament, and the charging to the Ministry of Information with a special duty of rectifying this particular misconception about present-day Britain. There was even one specially arranged radiocast for overseas from the dining room of a leading hotel, with a Canadian commentator giving a running description of the scene from course to course. Diet is Changing But, if the average Mr John Bull is not feeling any particular food shortage, his diet is changing through a shortage, actual or artificially arranged, of certain particular foods. The spread of the war on the Continent of Europe has cut out a number of sources of supply of some foodstuffs, either partially or totally. The need to conserve shipping space has meant that supplies of other commodities have been curtailed by Government action. The total result is that the traditional diet of the country is altering. The typical English breakfast of eggs and bacon and buttered toast and lashings of marmalade, if not entirely a thing of the past, is now far from typical. Eggs have maintained a fairly steady price, but bacon is

strictly rationed, and the sugar fog ■ home-made marmalade has been cut down. The same story can be told of the typical English dinner, with roast beef • of Olde Englande figuring so prominently in it. Conditions vary from time to time and from area to area, but as a general rule good beef is a rare ac.. quisition for many civilian housewives and even then it is subject to rationing, and joints and sirloins are difficult to obtain for small families whose coupons do not total up to the sum - necessary to purchase a good-sized cut. A small joint for, say, a family of three, is not easy to get, and anyway can only be made to last out the week . by careful dish-making which involves ingenuity and probably a couple' of meatless days. Drink More Milk Rabbit and poultry are, however, plentiful, and unrationed, so for those who can afford to buy above their ration-budget there is still quite sufficient meat for every day. To make good any shortage and cut; down imports, Britain is trying to rationalise its eating to a general plan. Sir John Orr, apd Mr David Lubbock, foremost British diet experts, have pro., duced a publication entitled “Feeding;' the People In War Time,” which carefully surveys the food situation and lays down general rules which patriotic feeders should follow when they, make their shopping lists. In this work ; they set forth a short list of how*, produced foods of which better advaa. tage can be taken, and another of imported foods which will fill the popu- ’ lation up without filling the ships up. Citizens are asked to take more willy more oatmeal, more vegetables, particularly potatoes. In all these things Britain is self-sufficient. Then they are urged to cut down on meat, eggs, sugar and bacon, filling their shopping—bags instead with cheese dried fruits ;• and fats, which, though imported, are concentrated foods and save space Tn the holds of the merchant fleet. Cheese is considered particularly important in this new scheme. The ek- ‘ perts say that, weight for weight, it ; contains twice as much nourishment : as beef. '' r \ The result of all this is to change t the typical dining-room scene- very ' considerably. A balanced set of patri- ’ otic meals, minus the ration of meat, I starts with porridge: or cereals, mar- i garlned toast and. perhaps, sausages and follows up with some such dish >• as potato cheese with vegetables. t A factor in assessing this diet is that ) most of the men of the country, at ; least, lunch away from home, and it - is still possible to eat more or less as usual in restaurants. Beef and lamb i are readily obtainable—without any ■ ration tickets changing hands—and ’ there seems to have been very little change in either menus or prices.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19400730.2.41

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23085, 30 July 1940, Page 6

Word Count
899

BRITAIN'S FOOD Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23085, 30 July 1940, Page 6

BRITAIN'S FOOD Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23085, 30 July 1940, Page 6

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