CONFERENCE ON FOOD

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28167, 4 January 1957, Page 2

CONFERENCE ON FOOD

“Eating Marathon” For Editors

A gigantic ‘“eating marathon” took place in Chicago recently for 139 women and two men, all food editors of newspapers in the United States, Canada and Hawaii. They were attending their twelfth annual conference there. For 10 days the 141 persons had almost nothing to do but eat. They ate four and five-course breakfasts, four-course lunches, and six-course dinners every day. There was only one condition—they had to write about it after each meal. The annual conference was organised by American food manufacturers for the food editors. They were served “sample” meals cooked from new products. In some cases the actual meal was the product. The editors tested and reported on what they had eaten. Pre-packaged foods were some of the most important items tested.

Whole roasts of meat, boned, rolled ready to cook, are now being put on the United States market with the hamburgers, sandwich steaks and other individual meats that have been sold for some time. The manufacturers consider that, by not shipping the inedible portions of meat, they will make a substantial saving in transport costs and space which can be passed on to the consumer in cut prices.

Food packaging is receiving much attention as more and more American housewives demand packaged meals ready to slip into the oven. A new pound cakemix is sold packaged in an aluminium foil pan in which it can be baked. The advantage here is that not only is the pan reusable, but it is exactly the right size for the quantity of batter in the mix. Sea foods, too, are now being sold done up in prefrozen aluminium foil pouches, which go straight into the oven.