Evening star., 1942-01-01
j. ). Food Industry
To Feed Millions
Abroad in 1912
Britain and Russia
Both Expected to
Require Supplies
BY L. v. BURTON,
Editor, Food Industries.

in the food industry In 1941 is to
dwell on the unimportant. in view
Of the wartime problems facing the
Nation in the immediate as well as
the distant future.
AS far as food alone is concerned,
the United States has undertaken
to supply Great Britain with vast
quantities of concentrated protein
foods and certain others, like canned
vegetables, that are important be-
cause Of their vitamin content.
AS q result Of this undertaking
the food demand of the normal do
mestic population of about 10000
600 persons Is augmented by a food
demand roughly equivalent to TO-
100000 additional persons.
But this is not all Because Rus
sia has lost about half of her best
farm lands to the invaders it Is only
common sense to realize that food
must ultimately be exported to Rus
sia along with munitions and arma-
ments if Russia is to be enabled to
keep up the battle.
Russian food resources were stated
by former Ambassador OumanSky to
be adequate to last until next sum-
mer. As a result of this situation,
1t Is estimated that another 50000,-
600 persons must be fed by the
democracieS mainly the United
States. if processed foods are re-
ouired for Russia as for Britain.
Rig Demand Foreseen,
In spite of the war with the Axis
powers this food must be delivered
to Russia or she will collapse of
hunger, which would constitute as
much victory for the Axis as mill
tary conquest.
In the next year. therefore. 1t
seems likely that the demands on
the United States for processed
foods q. e. foods manufactured into
a non-perishable form will jump
from a population demand OF per-
haps 140,OO0,0O0 today to about 300
100000 by the end of 1912.
Is the food industry Of the United
States prepared for such burden?
From the viewpoint of agricultural
raw materials it can be said that we
can reasonably expect to assume the
burden, provided that military and
industrial demands for labor do not
make too great inroads on the sup
ply of farm labor. Should this de-
pletion of farm labor occur, 1t will
be necessary to look to South Amer
lea for a rapid expansion of food
processing.
But it must be realized that all
food raw materials are perishable
commodities that require preserva-
ton by processing in some manner
such as canning, CHASING, freezing,
driving, picking or sailing. Any
such huge increase in demands as
has been calculated will require
much additional equipment and
manufacturing facilities, something
that o. P. NJ has been, up to now,
very reluctant to realize, or to per-
nit.
Container Required.
Eaually-or even more important,
however, is the fact that food which
has been preserved in some man
ner must be put into some sort OF
a container that will protect it from
spoilage by bacteria, molds, insects,
rodents, moisture, drying out, odors
or filth. Without such contalner
the perishable food may almost as
we'll have been left unharvested.
But when consideration is given to
the container situation, the future
is serious indeed. Containers may
be cans. drums, barrels. glass, paper,
cellophane, pliofilm, every one OF
which is made from materials that
are growing scarce and usually ur-
gently needed also for other defense
work.
At this point another complication
arises, for the availability of the
proper container or package largely
determines the method of preserva-
tion that may be employed. II
sterilization by heat is the method OF
preservation. then tin cans and glass
must be used. Freezing requires pa
per, cellophane or pliofilm. De-
hydration requires drums, barrels
or paper. And so on.
Should necessity require the food
industry to depart from customary
methods and utilize an alternative
method of preservation of the per-
ishable foods for 200,000000 per-
sons because of scarcity of ma
terials for containers or packages,
the industry is faced with i'm
portant problems of procurement
of special processing equipment that
will permit the change-over. Such
equipment demands will cut sharply
into the other needs of the de-
fense program, and if the timing of
its installation is not correct, it is
not impossible that much perishable
food may be wasted.
Vast Problems Faced.
The problems are so vast, have
80 many strange ramifications and
require so lengthy a study for ade-
quate planning that the o. P. M or
some suitable Government agency
should be at work on it right now.
Unless the problems of the future
are given proper and adequate at
tention at the present time, there
is grave danger that the United
States may fail to live up to its