Evening star., 1942-10-18
EDUCATI TIONAL.
~. S. Food Dehydrotion School
Will Open at Rochester, Wy.
Experts Will Instruct
In All Phases of
New Science
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

change in manufacturing processes
that it has become necessary for the
Government to go into the school
teaching business. Today it is giv-
ling instruction to manufacturers
who once were experts.
A good example of this develop
ment is the establishment of new
type of scientific school in the
principles of dehydration in Roches-
ter, N. Y. The school, which will
open tomorrow for a session of IL
working days, is the second of its
kind.
1t will be held in a food processing
plant under the auspices of the
Agricultural Marketing Administra-
ton and the Bureau of Agricultural
Chemistry and Engineering of the
Agriculture Department in co-opera-
ton with other important agencies
The students will number 1876
They will pay no fees. The STU
dents were chosen carefully from
Well-knoWn food companies. Those
who start the course must agree
to finish it. The instructors and
lecturers will be nationally known
chemists and food experts The
school will teach technical operators
of food plants the scientific princi-
Piles of dehydration developed by
the research staff of the Agriculture
Department during the past year
The end aim is to give our fighting
men overseas and those of the Allied
Nations more and better food.
In Washington en- route to the
schools opening tomorrow, E. M.
Chace, national chairman of the
Dehydration Committee of the Agri-
culture Department and the school s
chief consultant, said in an inter-
view that the schools establishment
was necessary because "dehydration
is practically new industry"
Demands Vastly Increased.
Before the present emergency"
Mr.. Chace said, possibly 5000, 900
pounds of food were dehydrated in
the United States during the course
of a year. Today, the Army alone
is asking for $4,000 900 pounds and
requests also are coming from lease
lend countries" He pointed out
that dehydration "saves 80 per cent
in shipping weight and Is per cent
in shipping bulk"
What about Americas civilian
needs?" he was asked.
eff civilian Sc 1.,o1-,, I, -
replied "it may also benefit from
dehydrated foods"
"A year ago." he said, there were
only four or five commercial dehy-
dration plants in this country, most
OF them in California. Now, there
are from SO to so enormous ones,
scattered from Texas to Florida and
throughout the States of the North
west and Middle West as well as in
other sections.
The first dehydration school, Mr..
Chace recalled, was held last sum-
mer at the Western Regional Labo-
ratory of the Agriculture Depart
ment at Albany, Calf. It's purpose
was to improve through practical
instruction the quality of dehy-
drafted foods and to smooth out Ger
tain technical details which the op-
orators OF dehydration plants were
encounterlng. Its success led to
organization of the Rochester
school under the general admin
istrative direction of G. H. Diehl of
the Western Regional Laboratory,
formerly member of the Plant In
dustry Bureau. To insure the best
results the class will be divided
into four sections, dealing with as
many different phases of dehydra-
tion.
VIII Study Selection.
Section I will consider the selec-
ton OF fruits and vegetables best
suited for the dehydration process.
Certain varieties of carrots, beets,
potatoes, cabbage and tomatoes, for
instance" Mr.. Chace said, "are in
finitely better for dehydration pur-
poses than others. The same spe-
cies grown in different parts of the
country in different types of soil
do not fare equally we'll. Another
important consideration is the
proper storage of the foods until
they can be handled since engine
reactions responsible for decay
must be prevented.
Section II will deal with actual
preparations of the vegetables,
fruits and other food materials
washing, peeling, pairing, slicing,
dlclng or ricing and general pre-
hydration treatment. So fast is
scientific experimentation moving In
this field alone that peeling by ra-
diant heat-properly described as an
experiment by this writer in a recent
article on dehydration in The Star
now is rated as an authorized.
standard procedure, and is in daily
use. So far, from the studies made
at the Western Regional Labora-
tory, Mr.. Chace recommends steam
blanching" as the best pre-heating
treatment necessary to prevent GER
tain engine reactions. ITO date. !"
he explained, more valuable vita
minis and minerals have been re-
tanned in the food materials under
going dehydration through steam
blanching' than through any other
procedure.
Section III will deal with the
dehydration process itself, or the
actual removal of the water from
the food products. During this step
the food material is spread in thin
, layers and subjected to a current
of hot, dry air. Believe it or not
Mr.. Chace declares, "the precise de-
gree of temperature, the time OF
exposure and the exact degree of
dryness are all factors of extreme
Importance, if the best possible re-
suits are to be obtained"
Tin Substitutes Used.
Section w will study packing and
storage problems and have demon
strations in rehydration, the process
of restoring to the food tho water
that has been taken away as the