EAT MORE BUTTER IS NEW SLOGAN OF FACTORY CHAIRMAN

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7201, 26 April 1930, Page 6

EAT MORE BUTTER IS NEW SLOGAN OF FACTORY CHAIRMAN

Helping Use Producer

VALUE OF BUTTER AS HEALTH GIVING FOOD

By eating more butter, it is suggested by a dairy company chairman that townspeople of the Dominion can materially help the producers to tide ovgi the present period of depression and low prices. In an interview with a reporter, Mr. N. Campbell, chairman of directors of tho Awahuri Dairy Company, pointed out .that poor prices for butter not only affectod tho producer but tho whole community, as 95 jrer cent, of tho country’s rovenuo camo out of the land. When tho farmer suffered, his business transactions were curtailied and he exercised economy instead of spending freely as in times of prosperity. As a matter of fact, a largo proportion of tho farming community would have littlo left this year, after paying interest on mortgages, rates and taxes. Tho New Zealand price for _ butter over tho counter had fallen with the market at Homo and was now within tho reach of everyone, and many families, ho felt sure, could make use of another pound or two each week. These extra sales in New Zealand benefited tho farmer in that ho did not have to meet freight, insurance, wharfage charges, etc., as with butter sent overseas.

Mr. Campbell pointed out that there should be no fear of eating plenty of good butter, as it was one of the most nourishing of foods. Butter manufacture was under the strict supervision of the Agricultural Department, with tho result that New Zealand held pride of place in tho world for this produce. By eating more butter tho people of New Zealand would not only be helping tho producor but would be helping themselves to better health. In this connection it is interesting to quote from an article written by Professor R. H. Leiteh, of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, on recent discoveries relating to the dietary value of dairy produce. Professor Lcitch dealt in detail with the five known vitamins. Vitamin A, ho said was essential to tho growth of the young and to normal nutrition and health at all stages of life. Lack of vitumin A resulted in widespread weakening of tho tissues of tho body and its ability to resist infections. An early and frequent manifestation of lack of vitamin A was some form of ophthalmia. A severo form (Xerophthalmia), resulting in permano.-rt blindness, affected young children whose diet contained no buttor-fat and no vitamin A. A striking example of this was the war experience of Denmark. During tho war blindness increased markedly among Danish children, duo to a deficiency of vitamin A, which was a normul constituent of but-ter-fat. Tho reason why blindness became so widespread in Denmark, despite the fact that tho country did not tako part in tho war, was rather interesting. Denmark was a dairy country which manufactured and oxported butter. On account of the great demuud by tho warring nations Danish butter fetched very high prices. As a result butter and fresh milk beeamo so dear that tho poorer classes could scarcely procure any, and were able only to obtain separated milk or buttermilk, which could bo had at a reasonable price. The consequence was that the poorer children were deprived of but-ter-fat and of its vitamin A. This was tho direct cause of tho blindness. Xerophthalmia had increased each year from 1914 to the beginning of 1918, and then it was suddenly checked. The reason of the decline was that, on account of the German blockade, butter was rationed by the Danish Government to its own people so that every man, woman and child was entitled to a half pound of butter per week, and as there was at that time no pork fat or margarine in the country, everyone had real butter and the disease ceased at once. Xerophthalmia was only one of the maladies, and probably nut the most important, caused by a lack of vitamin A in tho diet. Recent medical research work sliow'ed that increased susceptibility to respiratory diseases, to skin and ear infections, and even to inflammation and infection of the intestinal tract was attendant on a lack of vitamin A. It was noteworthy that butter made from milk of summer pastures was richer in vitamin A than that made from winter or stallfed milk. ,