FOOD IN GREAT BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25833, 18 June 1949, Page 2

FOOD IN GREAT BRITAIN

“DIET HAS NEVER BEEN SO NOURISHING ”

VIEWS OF VISITING EXPERT (New Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 17. “Dairy farmers will be interested to know that surveys of British housewives’ opinions show that food preferences are firstly, lor more meat, and then for more butter. That disposes oi the view that margarine is displacing butter,” said Dr. N. C. Wright, M.D. D.Sc., Ph.D., chief scientific advised to the United Kingdom Ministry of Food, at a press conference to-day. In explanation of how New Zealand’s production could best dovetail into Great Britain’s requirements, Dr. W right said the diet of Britain had never been so nourishing as to-day—-a fact proved by statistics on the falling death and illness rates. That was due to war rationing ensuring a high intake of milk and milk products by those particularly requiring them, to rationing giving a fair share to everybody and providing specially for labour in heavy industry. Palatability ana variety in diet was sacrificed, Dr. Wright continued. That had hit Great Britain particularly in livestock products, which New Zealand supplied. The British meat supply was two-thirds the pre-war figure. Thanks largely to New Zealand producers, mutton and lamb figures were almost as good as before the war. The Dominion, he thought, was Britain’s greatest source of meat. The total beef supplies in Britain had dropped from 551 b a head a year to 4010, and pork from 111 b to lib. The pork position revealed what the market there was for tile New Zeaian. pig industry. Unfortunately, ihr.t i\e. Zealand industry was diminishing That was puzzling f as milk product: were being maintained, ft in erred ; shortage of skim milk which might be inquired into. In dairy produce. Great Britain war now able to get roughly half the prewar figure, and although fats were being supported by margarine, the country was still well below the prewar intake of fats Dr. Wright said. Butter supplies had dropped 50 per cent. In addition, almost all home milk went for the liquid milk supply, consumption of which had increased by 50 per cent. New Zealand was now increasing the amount of dried milk sent to Britain. “We could do with more dried milk to use in our ice cream,” continued Dr. Wright, who explained that the ingredient of the English cone was a small percentage of fat made up with sugar, cereals, etc.

Agricultural Production Agricultural production during the war. Dr. Wright continued, increased by 30 per cent., and now, because of the dollar position, and the general foodstuff shortage, Britain had undertaken an expansion programme calculated to yield by 1952* an increase of 50 per cent, over the pre-war figures. After a further review of New Zealand’s production possibilities, Dr. Wright concluded by saying: “On the side of mutton and lamb, we have nothing but praise for what your farmers have done for us in the past.”