N.Z. APPLES FOR BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1942, Page 7

N.Z. APPLES FOR BRITAIN

MARKETING POSSIBILITIES

(N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent)

i.Rcc. 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, May 18. The Ministry of Food is interested in dehydrated apples, consequent on j the virtual cessation of imports of ] fresh apples. It placed large orders ! in Canada and is considering an order of appreciable tonnage from New Zealand, but the price factor is a bar at the moment. Mr. H. Turner, London manager of the fruit sales division, said: “Samples of New Zealand dried apples have arrived in England, and have drawn very favourable comment from food experts and housewives. Samples of various varieties of apples were kept separate. Some would probably show better than others, both for flavour and texture. There is a marked difference in appearance, owing to the fact that New Zealand apples are not sulphur-treated, resulting in a much darker colour, compared with the almost white Canadians. The Canadian quality is no better, however, but the consumer has always associated the white colour with dried apples, so may be prejudiced. Under cooking conditions, the difference is almost not apparent. Anyway, there is less fastidiousness in these days of short supplies and rationing. If other difficulties can be overcome, and with modern economical plant, and also raw materials of superior quality, New Zealand may well find a favourable market in the United Kingdom during the period of the war, and also perhaps after the war, if not in Great Britain, then in meeting the enormous demand for feeding the impoverished Conti nenta 1 population s.