RISE IN BRITAIN

Evening Post, Issue 87, 9 October 1936, Page 7

RISE IN BRITAIN

CANNING INDUSTRY

NEW MARKET DEVELOPED

Important changes have occurred in recent years in the dieting of the British people (says "The ' Economist"). Foodstuffs formerly procurable only in their "natural" state, during a comparatively short season each year^ , may now be had by the consumer whenever he will. Since the disappearance of the widespread prejudice against preserved foods of all kinds the' industry producing them has shown a,rapid expansion. ' - "■■•.■■ .' <•,.

' Progress has been particularly- rapid ;during the last seven or. eight' year's, and the range of foodstuffs; covered has been considerably extended;;.adds "The Economist." Since it is. impossible to can anything but produce of the highest quality, the growth of this new industry must .be counted a sound point for modern science.., , ;

Today there is hardly a single home, grqwn fruit or vegetable ; which cannot be' purchased: in tinned form..;; In- .ihe vegetable pack by far the largest single item is peas, of which twp..classes,may be obtained. In one case'the-peas-are canned fresh, just before they are ripe; in the other'they, are' alloweiTto/dry in the sun'andare sbakejd'in water-be-fore canning is undertaken: The latter method enables a", larger • weight of peasr to be.obtained from a .given.area. of land, while the peas are Lsaid -to possess a higher food'value. At any, rate, these tinned ''processed" peas have almost ousted the once-popular packeted peas from the market. RISE IN THE OUTPUT. According to official figures which have recently .become available, the output of canned? and bottled fruit in the United Kingdom rose from 3J5.000 cwt (valued at £859,000) in11930 to, 550;000cwt' f (valued at £1,354,000) in 1933. In the latter year 499,000cwt of peas and 434,0Q0cwt of other vegetables Kvalued at £895,000-and £775,000 respectively) were canned in the United Kingdom.. * ■.> ...•■..-• ...::i ■'; ■■;. ■ ■ From a publication of the National: Food Canning Council it appears that there are over sixty fruitcanning firms,' of varying :size, in the.country, of which about half are also engaged in the canning of vegetables;'there are, in addition, a few firms canning'vegetables, but not .fruit Home supplies are still much smaller .than imports of canned and bottled fruit, 'upon; .which varying. duties. are , levied. Imports totalled 2,430,000cwt in 1930;. and 3,691,000cwt in 1935. The bulk of these do not, however, compete directly with British-grown varieties. Some 1,057,000 cwt- of Canned .'Vegetables' were imported last year, of which the^bullt (955,000cwt) consisted of tomatoes. ; Overlapping:'the fruit.;and' vegetable section; is that concerned;with;fish and meat, s Herrings, .whichrare canned in a variety:of■ forms;iaccounted.for IHOOOcwt (valued.at:;£22o,ooo) out of a total' of ;a24,oOocwt:riC£27s,ooo)! for all fish canned in the United Kingdpm;in 1933. '■:■■'■"■■ x,A',-/: ■.'■■■■- : Imports of cannediLsh consist mainly, of sardines, salmon, crabs, and lobsters, which are not canned in this country. Similarly,, imports, of canned^'£ meat mainly ■comprise" cofned"beef/ canned in; areas where cattle!;can be.prbdiiced cheaply on a large"scale;,'the home canning industry is concerned with chicken, ham, and other varieties of meat which can' profitably be produced within our shores. • ; !'■ THE RISE OF SOUP. < i According to the- source ; already quoted, 138,OO0cwt of "preserved meat; |in tins, glasses, 'etc'."-!'(valued at, ■£988,000),' were produced in 1933; meat 'extracts and essences accounted for a iurther 105,000cwt, with the much [higher value of £3,019,000. In addi,tion, the value of the'.nQ.OOOcwtcol meat and fish pastes produced in the same year was put at £1,128,000. There is a small export trade in canned meat and.fish/,' , ,-i ». :■•• '■.•'•'."-■ •; "-- . A more recent product of the canning industry, the sale of which is making rapid headway, is soup.. In this case the manufacturers have almost created' a tiew demand, for the value of soup was not appreciated here, until recent years. The expansion in demand has, however, been:extrei^ely rapid: The value, of ;ithe .soups',produced' in th« United Kingdom in 1933 (including bottled soups, soup squares, and powders) was estimated at £717,000, ragainsronly £412,000 ihfee yearslearlieri' -' There i« little doubt that th 6 1935 census figures will disclose a furOier substantial advance'in this direction. '; ■-; ' ' Thei,British;.canning' ihdustry;'.;which probably accounts for over 10 per cent, of the home consumption of tinplate, seems, destined to > play :an' eyen more impbrtantiToleirithe hational'economy in future years; The demand for jkinned foods is certaifty on the increase, and there is no doubt', that' *he industry can satisfy the demand; in many-"cases, indeed, it may;itself ; create ,£.lew demand. :■ .-.' -.■.'■>• ;f '

The industry has already attained a high level of technical efflciency, and its products consequently make increasing appeal to the human palate. Moreover, it is nqW possible-to obtain complete meals in tinned fprm^ The can-opener must., surely., be. regarded as a sign of the times.' " ';; - '