The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-23
BY the u. S.
Department Of Agriculture.

Washington, ID. c., April 2S.-Good
food heedlessly thrown into garbage
pals, food allowed to spoil in the
household, food spoiled by improper
cooking, and food destroyed by rats,
mice, and insects constitute the
heavy items in the $40, 600, 900 annual
waste Of food in homes in this cOun-
try. Seven hundred million dollars Is
conservative. In household waste, OF
course, are not included the vast loss
es 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 500, 900, 900 household
waste Of food, the dietary specialists
of the United State department of ag-
OF the United States department OF
riculture declare. is 'easily prevent
able. This %preventable waste consists
in large part Of the following items:
~ Edible food thrown into the
garbage pail or into the kitchen sink.
That vast amounts of nOurishing
material are thrown out from Ameri.
can kitchens and so made useless for
human consumption, is we'll estab'
lished by the returns from garbage
and fertilizer plants showing amounts
Of fats and heterogeneous material re.
covered from city garbage.
Much of the food is thrown out, the
specialists say, because so many peo.
pie do not know how to untilize left
overs or will not take the trouble to
keep and prepare them. The special
lists point out that leftover cereals a
be reheated or combined with fruits,
meats, or vegetables into appetizing
side dishes; that even a spoonful OF
cereal is worth saving as a thickener
Of soups, gravies and sauces.
Stale bread can be utilized in a
variety of ways in combination with
vegetables and meats and in prepar-
ing hot breads and buildings.
Every scrap Of meat or fish can be
combined with cereals or other foods
lacking in pronounced flavor, both to
give flavor and to add nourishment to
made-over dishes.
Every bit of fat or suet trimmed
from meat before cooking or tried out
in boiling. roasting or broiling can be
made useful in cooking. Many BUTCH
ers. after they have weighed meat,
and named the price for the cut, trim
off valuable suet and fat. This fat,
which the housewife pays for, if tax
en- home and used. would reduce ex-
penditures for prepared cooking fats.
Water used in cooking rice and many
of the vegetables contains nutrients
and desirable ~flavoring materials val
liable in soups or sauces. Too often
fats and such water are poured into
the sink.
(2) SpoiIage Of food due to care
less handling and storing in the
home.
Important amounts of p%erishable
foods are made dangerous or inedible
in households because they are ex-
rosed 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 %perishable food, especially
milk. cool, clean and covered contin.
uously"-will make a striking differ
ence in the food bills of many fami.
lies.
e, Food spoiled by careless
cooking.
Many housewives who complain that
children and adults will not eat break
fast cereals fail to realize the cereals
they serve are undercooked, scorched,
or improperly seasoned and thus made
unpalatable. Most of the cheaper foods
require careful seasoning and prepare.
ton to be fully appetizing. In many
households proper attention to the
cooking Of these cheap and desirable
foods will increase greatly their con-
sumption and thus reduce consider
ably the use of nor expensive foods
eaten instead of cereals.
(4) Waste IN preparation.
Much useful food gets into the garb-
age pail because the housewife in pre-
pairing potatoes or other vegetables
andsfruit, sucA rs a~ppleesSuts off with
the skin . considerable percentage Of