Evening star., 1940-01-14
Consumption Of Meat
In j. !. Greatest
Since 1884
Increase, of 7 Pounds
To 145 Pounds Per
Person Reported
BY ]. G. DONLEY.

NEW YORK, Jan. 13.-There is
one figure which, perhaps better
than any other statistical exhibit,
reveals the trend of average we'll
being in this country and at the
same time serves to contrast our
standard of living with that of the
rest of the world And that figure
showed marked gain in 1889 over
1898.
The index referred to is the aver
age per capita meat consumption
Although the United States has less
than one-siXteenth of the popula-
tion of the world. we annually con-
sumo about one-fourth of all the
meat used by the civilized human
population, it has been estimated.
Our 1889 per capita consumption
of meats and lard, according to a
preliminary estimate by the In
stitute of American Meat Packers,
was about las pounds, which is
greater than in any other year since
1884, and represents an increase of
approximately pounds per person
over 1888 Lower prices had hand
in the gain, but increasing employ
ment, particularly among workers
in heavy industries. was probably a
factor of equal Importance.
Gains in Pork Consumption.
The working mans favorite meat
is pork, and practically all the in
crease in per capita meat consump-
ton last year was accounted for by
the gain in pork consumption. Meat
prices had something of squirt
after the European war broke out,
but there has been a sizable decline
in prices from the September highs
which has left some pork cuts at
the lowest levels in five years. The
decline came after it was learned
that England was going to obtain
her bacon requirements from Can
ada and would ration food consump-
ton at home.
AS measured by wholesale prices,
fresh pork loins have come down
more than so per cent from the
peaks of last September; fresh hams
are off "a per cent, and smoked hams
declined IL to 20 per cent. Prices
of other meats have also eased off
from the early war peaks, but pork
led the procession and declined
most.
Production of meat was unusually
large during 1899. according to the
report of the Packers Institute, ow-
ing to the large number of hogs
marketed and the relatively heavy
weights at which animals were sold.
Production of beef, veal and lamb
changed little. The great increase
in the amount of pork products was
sufficient to cause aggregate pro-
duction of all meats to be about 7
per cent greater than in 1888.
Annual Consumption.
Taking the approximate average
since 1900, each person in the United
States consumes annually about 50
pounds of beef, seven pounds OF
veal, seven pounds of lamb and
mutton, and about 10 pounds OF
pork. But even those averages do
not present so impressive picture
of our meat consumption as the
estimate that the people OF the
United States consume each day
at lunch approximately 100000
pounds of meat.
But Americas per capita meat
consumption isn't what it used to
be, and that fact is partly explain
able by the better balanced diets
brought about by the swing toward
a greater proportion of vegetables
and fruits. Per capita lard con-
sumption has declined with the rise
of vegetable shortcomings, which
have taken about four pounds
year off the per capita for lard since
1924. In 1887, the per capita con-
sumption for all meats, exclusive OF
lard, was 1243 pounds, and that
compares with the all-time peak OF
1927 pounds set in 1903.
tReleased by Consolidated News)