Evening star., 1942-02-11

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the country. Each agreed to a long
interview. Before the study is COM
pleted it is planned to interview
about 5000, but there is little chance
that the essential conclusions will
be changed.
The changing attitude. of1icials OF
General Foods Corp. believe, is due
| primarily to two reasons.
Reflections Prove Shock.
First, the people have been shock
ed by the supposedly poor physical
condition of American youth. re-
vealed by selective service eXamina-
tions. In some localities as many as
so per cent have been rejected. Yet,
viewed superficially. many of these
men seemed fine physical specimens.
Mothers feel little guilty. The
boys have had too much sugar-not
enough tissue and bone building
foods.
More significant is the education
program now being carried on by
the Red Cross, State and county nu-
triton committees and the Once of
Civilian Defense. Twenty hour
courses on the preparation of body
building foods are being given in
almost every crossroads schoolhouse.
Women are hearing for the first
time the magic word "vitamins."
The survey has shown an increas-
ing appreciation. A few months ago
wives of farmers and workers were
just beginning to talk of "vitamins."
! They did not discriminate between
the dozen or more of these sub
stances which are deemed essential
to health. Any food with some
vitamins In it" was all right.
Become Household Words.
Now. the survey shows, almost
illiterate housewives are speaking
proudly Of the thiamin chloride and
NICOTINE acid content Of the meals
they cook Some still believe, by the
way, that the best means of getting
NICOTINE acid in bread Is to spit
tobacco juice in the dough. but this
is only passing phase. The scien-
tific name of this ESSENTIAL anti
pellasra vitamin Is unfortunate.
The result of the educational cam
paign on food purchases already has
been profound, General Food Corp.
reports show. There is more and
more demand for meat, milk. eggs,
beans, etc. which contain the vita
minis. Before purchasing proc
essed food. women are demanding
Of the grocer how much riboflavin or
caroline it contains. This is forcing
the food industry to give this infor-
nation in it's advertising There is
strong temptation. thus far re-
sisted, to fortify some non-essential
foods Just for sales value.
Perhaps no other industry is so
much the creature of supply and
demand as that of food processing.
Advertising, per Sc, does little to
change folks basic tastes. It may
create q preference for one break
fast food made of wheat or corn over
another, but 1t does not change very
greatly the amount OF wheat or
IOih OOlLou1iCd by eltC AHlCIlCdH
people. 1t is essential to keep a
constant watch on the public tastes
Army and Navy Influential
The change to foods rich in vita
minis and minerals is welcomed.
although 1t may necessitate some
changes in processing methods in
the near future. Army and Navy
diets, about as near perfect from
the standpoint of health, are bound
to have profound effects on family
diets in the future, General Foods
officials believe.
The survey, they say, to date is
deficient in only one respect-the
changing food habits of the farm
population Farm diet has, on the
whole. been worse than that of city
dwellers. This is due partly to lack