Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-06

Good food heedlessly thrown into
garbage pals. food allowed to spoil in
the household. food ruined by improper
cooking and food destroyed by rats,
mice and insects constitute the heavy
items in the 100000 900 annual waste
of food in homes in this country cited
recently by the Secretary of Agricul-
ture Seven hundred million dollars Is
considered to be a conservative figure.
In household waste, of course, are not
, included the vast losses of food allowed
under improper handling or inefficient
marketing methods to spoil in transit
or in the hands of producers or dealers.
Much of this s7O0.Oo0.oO household
waste of food. the dietary specialists
of the Department of Agriculture de-
clare. is easily preventable.
Edible Food Thrown Away.
That vast amounts Of nourishing ma
terial are thrown out from American
kitchens and made useless for hu-
man consumption is well established
by the returns from garbage and ferti-
lizer plants showing the amount Of
fats and heterogeneous material recov-
cred from city garbage.
Much of the food is thrown out the
specialists say, because SO many people
do not know how to utilize leftovers or
will not take the trouble to keep and
prepare them. The specialists point
out that leftover cereals can be re-
heated or combined with fruits. meats
or vegetables into appetizing side
dishes: that even spoonful of cereal
is worth saving as a thickener of soups,
or bread
utilized in a variety of ways in COM
bination with vegetables and meats
and in preparing hot breads and pud-
dings. Skim milk can be used as a
beverage, in cooking cereals or as a
basis for milk soups or sauces. Even
sour milk can be used in making hot
breads or in the home Manufacture of
cottage cheese.
Every scrap of meat or fish can be
combined with cereals or other foods
lacking in pronounced favor, both to
give flavor and to add nourishment to
made-over dishes. Every bit of fat or
suet trimmed from meat before cook
ing or tried out in boiling, roasting or
broiling can be made useful in cook
ing Many butchers trim off valuable
suet and fat. This fat. which the
housewife pays for, II taken home and
used. would reduce expenditures for
prepared cooking fats. Water used in
cooking rice and many of the Veseta-
bles contains nutrients and desirable
fiavoring materials valuable in soups
or sauces Too often fats and such
water are poured into the sink.
Many persons regard the saving or
small amounts of leftover food as un-
important. If they kept accurate &C
count however. for any period, the spe-
cialists say, many families would be as
founded by the amount of good food
they are throwing out. and by the sums
that they are paying to the grocer, the
butcher and milkman merely to replace
good food being absolutely wasted.
Spoilage Due to Handling.
Important amounts of perishable
foods are made dangerous or inedible in
households because they are exposed
unnecessarily to heat. germs, dust dirt
or to flies and other insects.
Much milk spoils quickly because it
is kept uncovered in warm kitchens.
Close observance of the doctrine. Keep
perisha BILE food, especially milk. cool
clean and covered continuously, may
make a striking difference in the food
bills of many families.
In other cases, one or two vegetables.