MACON A LUXURY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24255, 25 March 1940, Page 9

MACON A LUXURY

NO LONGER NECESSARY, BACON SUPPLIES PLENTIFUL (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, Feb. 27. Macon, or cured mutton, which was introduced to housewives as a substitute for bacon last November, has in five months become an almost unobtainable luxury. Mutton has been scarce for a fortnight, the price has gone up, and it will be rationed with other meats on March 11. Macon, therefore, is not a practical proposition at the moment. The Government has decided to drop indefinitely plans to cure any more mutton. Mutton, they think, is of more use as fresh meat. A Ministry of Food official said: “ The Ministry had only one cure made, although I believe some private firms also commenced curing mutton in the hope that ‘ macon ’ would catch on with the public. I do not think there is really any demand for * macon.’ There may be a few people going after it just because it is something new, but unless one has acquired a taste for it I think most people prefer their usual dish of bacon., “ Supplies of bacon and ham are now quite plentiful. That may be due in some degree to people not taking their full rations, but there are other reasons. ■ The Government made some pretty big contracts—that • with Canada, for example—to guard against a shortage in deliveries from normal sources. The latter, however, have come in much better than it was feared they might, arid there are ample supplies available. There is, therefore, no need to continue the curing of ‘ macon.’

“ The decision is not due to any real shortage in supplies of mutton, for while home-killed may have been in shorter supply in recent week there has been plenty of ‘ imported.’ ” When the Commons held its secret session sandwiches of “ macon ” were provided among the refreshments for M.P.’s.