The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-01-07
Americans Will
Eat Well in 49,
Still Grumble
BY cEcILY BRoWNsToNE
Associated Press Food Editor


Americans will eat we'll in 1s4s
and VIII continue to grumble
about the food budget. One raw
OF hight is an indication that mea.
prices will drop slightly toward
the end of the year, and that most
OF the favorite diet items of Mr..
ana Mrs. USA will be available
in abundance.
Assurance as to food supplies
came from o. V. Wells. chief OF
the Bureau of Agricultural Eco
Monies in the u. S. Department
OF Agriculture, who saws:
supplies of food available to
american families will be lust
about the same in 1949 as they
were in l948."
During the war our food CON
sumption per person was upped
the peak came in 1916. when it
was IL per cent above prewar.
Ihls year we'll not hit the high
point, but we'll still be IL per
cent above the average in 1883.
We probably shall continue to
be better fed INTENTIONALLY in 1949
than In any prewar year. Ameri-
cans now are getting more than
a fourth more iron, niacin and
r~iooflavin and more than a third
more thiamine-thanks chiefly To
the continued enrichment of
white bread and flour. The ouan-
Titles OF vitamin A, vitamin c.
and calcium in the diet have stav-
ed well above the prewar aver
ages because people have contin-
ued to eat more leafy, green and
yellow vegetables, citrus fruit and
tomatoes and more cheese and
fluid milk.
Glance at individual foods
and here's how prospects stack
up' More of next years meat
Is expected to be pork with
less beef. veal. lamb. available.
Pork prices will be lower than
beef. What beef there is will
De OF better grades as more
cattle will be grain fed.
If your family can't get all the
meat they want they'll take fish.
figures on the consumption Of
fishery products show. Our pres
ent fish consumption is lO.e
pounds per capita, as compared
with about ten pounds per capita
a year ago.
Supplies of canned fish prob
ably will be about the same in
ls4s as in 48. Though we may
have lots more tuna. the salmon
pack may be a good deal lower.
There should be more turkey
and chicken around than there
was this year and prices should
be better, too.
When 1t comes to Der CAPITA
supplies of fluid milk, cream,
e~vaporated milk and cheese, I94s
VIII see us consuming about the
same amount as we did this year.
though there's a chance therell
be more butter around. Prices
OF dairy products are expected to
average about what they did in
1948.
Somewhat larger supplies of
rats and oils will be available for
civilian consumption, and they
should be cheaper, too.
Fresh fruit supplies will con-
tinue to be large-especially vita
min erich (citrus) fruits. The
prices of fresh oranges and grape
fruit are expected to be about
the same. Canned fruit Juice
supplies will be ample. Smaller
crops of apples and pears this
year mean somewhat reduced
supplies ahead, and prices higher;
canned pears may not be quite as
plentiful as last. But just to bal
ance things there'll be a large
supply of canned apricots.
1t your family particularly
appreciates bananas. they'll be
glad TO know that they will
constitute the largest item of
fresh fruit we import in ls4s.
Pineapple is expected TO be in
good supply. too.
Supplies of frozen foods are
swinging upward, with packers
attempting to meet consumer de-
mand for such basic items as
fruits, vegetables, fish and poul-
try. And II looks as if there
would be more frozen strawber-
ries for shortcake all the year
round. No m is making any
predictions about what the price
/ "a la-A-- l--I-.LI