Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-13
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Vitamin-enriched bread is only
the spearhead of the movement to
improve the diet of the American
people.
Bread is the one food whose COM
position is to be changed, it was
explained today by Dr. NJ L. Wilson,
former Assistant Secretary of Agri-
culture, who heads the Govern
ment's great dietary experiment.
The next step will be to rearrange
diets in accordance with the foods
easily available in different parts
Of the United States.
Il was at clinic in Georgia a
few days ago." DR.. Wilson said,
where evidences of malnutrition
were being found in about half the
people examined. These evidences
were much less pronounced in the
colored than in the white people
The reason, in all probability, was
that the colored families are &C
customed to consume the pot liquor
the water in which their vegetables
are boiled-While the white families
throw it away.
1T is equally available to both.
The difference is matter of food
habits which have developed over
generations Actually this pot
liquor contains much of the vita
min content of the vegetables, in
Guiding the essential B vitamins
that are soluble in water. An i'm
portant step would be to get the
white families to accept pot liquor
as something socially proper for
them to have on the table.
Peanuts Rich in b VitaminS.
This would apply over most of
the South and equally striking in
stances with other foods would be
found in different parts of the
country. For instance. peanuts have
been found extremely rich in B
vitamins. A step would be to have
them more generally consumed in
the peanut raising area-rather
than urging everybody to eat pea
nuts"
The same principles can be ap-
piled to local fruits, vegetables and
methods of cooking everywhere, DR..
Wilson said. The method will be to
inaugurate studies of local food
habits by local committees.
Above all" said DR.. Wilson, I'VE
want to avoid the impression that
food is being used as carrier of
medicine. We do not propose to
give the American people drugs
under the guise of bread, but only
to restore to the diet some of the
most essential elements that have
been taken from it by changing food
habits and some new processing
methods"
Campaign to Begin Soon.
The intensive campaign to put the
new vitamin enriched bread on
every American table will get under
way in about As days, DR.. Wilson
said. 1t will be conducted through
all public agencies having to do with
food-county home demonstration
agents, w P A. projects, public
schools with their lunches for chill
dren. On the other hand will be
an advertising campaign by bakers
and millefs which will be carefully
supervised to prevent any suspicion
of a racket" The object will not
be to have more bread eaten, but to
bring about the shift in f1ours every
where.
Consumers must not expect, DR..
Wilson said, to find any observable
difference between the new and old
breads. They will look and taste
exactly alike. One suggestion has
been that some coloring substance
be used-such as caratine which is
the source of vitamin A-to make
the new bread slightly yellow and
give it a richer appearance. One
objection to this, it was pointed out,
is that it might give the impression
that the bread" is new kind of
medicine food. Folks may feel that
if they eat d fair amount of it they