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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of cabbage powder as a source of natural antioxidants and dietary fibre for the development of functional mutton patties. Antioxidants are the first line of defence against the oxidative damage to body’s macromolecules resulting in pathogenesis of various diseases including cancers and cardiovascular diseases. The supply of antioxidants from vegetative sources along with different meat products may serve as an excellent alternative for the synthetic antioxidants which may have harmful effects.

Cabbage powder was prepared and evaluated for antioxidant potential and total dietary fibre content. Cabbage powder was incorporated at three different levels in mutton patties formulation; optimum level was selected on the basis of sensory analysis. The developed product was evaluated for detailed profile and storage stability under aerobic and vacuum packaging.

Cabbage powder may serve as a good source of natural antioxidant and dietary fibre for the development of functional mutton patties. On the basis of sensory scores, optimum incorporation level of cabbage powder was adjudged as 6 per cent. The functional mutton patties had very good storage life under refrigeration.

Future research may stress on identifying the specific compounds with antioxidant effect and their metabolism inside the body.

This paper may popularize the cabbage powder as a source of natural antioxidant and dietary fibre in different food products.

Development of functional mutton patties incorporated with cabbage powder having oxidative stability, good nutritive, sensory, textural, and colour properties.

Finding blue colorants from natural sources is extremely difficult and, usually, the anthocyanin compounds are used for producing the blue color. This study aims to apply the Red Cabbage as a natural colorant to obtain different colors on wool yarn, as well as specify the optimum dyeing condition by response surface methodology for obtaining a blue color.

The effect of dyeing process parameters such as mordant concentration, dyeing time, pH of dyeing bath and dyeing temperature examined in the color characteristics of the dyed wool samples.

The obtained results indicated that the diverse colors achieve by varying the dyeing process parameters, which is in the range of 26° up to 271°. The non-mordanted dyed wool samples showed a red and red brownish color (Hue angle = 26° up to 70°), and the mordanted dyed wool samples showed a blue and blue-greenish color (Hue angle = 230° up to 271°). The obtained blue color with the optimized dyeing condition presented a considerable good wash and lightfastness.

This study provides a promising application of Red Cabbage as a natural colorant for obtaining different colors by varying the dyeing process parameters such as pH and stannous ion concentrations. The stannous ions yielded a co-pigmentation and presented a blue color on wool fibers, which is extremely difficult to obtain with natural colorant.

1. The Committee have received a request from the Tea and Coffee Division for advice as to appropriate standards for liquid “coffee essences” including coffee and chicory essences, with a view to the issue of an Order prescribing standards for these products under the Defence (Sale of Food) Regulations, 1943. 2. From the information given to the Committee by members of the trade and by the Division, the following conclusions were drawn :—(i) Purchasers of coffee and chicory essences appreciate the characteristic bitterness of chicory and would not regard with favour a product made with coffee only. (ii) If supplies of chicory in any season fell short of the quantity necessary for the maintenance of the desired output of coffee and chicory essences, there would be a tendency to include some alternative flavouring such an mangolds, malt, artichokes or parsnips. (iii) These materials are in no way deleterious to health, and their use is not objectionable provided the public is not misled as to the nature of the product. 3. Standards for coffee essences and coffee and chicory essences have been established in certain of the Dominions. The former are usually required to contain not less than 0·5 per cent. weight in weight of caffeine, the latter not less than 0·25 per cent. weight in weight. In this country a minimum standard of 4 per cent. weight in weight of dry coffee extractives has been proposed for coffee and chicory essences. Assuming that coffee contains 1·225 per cent. of caffeine, that it yelds 25 per cent. of dry extractives, and that these standards relate to essences that have a specific gravity of 1·2, 0·5 per cent. of caffeine corresponds to about 4¾lb. of coffee per gallon, and 4 per cent. of extractives corresponds to slightly under 2lb. per gallon. 4. If the standards are expressed as a percentage weight in weight manufacturers of products having a lower gravity would be able to use less coffee per unit volume of product than would have to be used by manufacturers of products of higher gravity. This is obviously undesirable and for this and other reasons the Committee consider it preferable to express the standard as a percentage weight in volume so that the proportion of coffee to be used for the manufacture of a given volume of essence will be independent of variations in the proportions of other ingredients. 5. Having regard to the above standards and to the proportions of coffee used both pre‐war and at present in most of the coffee and chicory essences on the market, the Committee are of the opinion that a product should not be sold as coffee essence unless prepared with at least 4lb. of roasted coffee per gallon, and that no compounded coffee product for producing a beverage should be sold as derived from coffee unless it contains at least 2lb. of roasted coffee per gallon. 6. There is, however, no direct method of determining the proportion of coffee used in these products, and for analytical purposes it is necessary to rely on determinations of the caffeine content and, when no other vegetable ingredient is present, of the dry extractives. Part of the value of the essences must be ascribed to the stimulating effect of the caffeine content which is derived solely from the coffee. The use of an adequate proportion of coffee in the manufacture of essences and the presence of a reasonable proportion of caffeine can therefore be conveniently ensured by expressing the standard in terms of a minimum percentage of caffeine. The Committee consider that a fair average figure for the caffeine content of roasted coffee is 1·25 per cent. A coffee essence prepared with the minimum proportion of coffee suggested above, namely, 41b. of coffee per gallon, would, if the coffee is of average caffeine content, contain 0·5 per cent. w/v of caffeine and coffee and chicory essences not less than 0·25 per cent. w/v of caffeine. 7. While an essence prepared with the minimum proportion of coffee would comply with the above standard if the coffee were of average caffeine content, the latter may fall to 1 per cent. or, on rare occasions, even‐lower. Thus a manufacturer who did not regularly submit his essence to analysis might market an essence which although prepared with the minimum proportion of coffee that is considered desirable did not comply with the caffeine standard. The Committee therefore recommend that it should be a defence in any prosecution in respect of an alleged infringement of the standard to prove that the essence had been made with not less than 41b. of roasted coffee per gallon in the case of a coffee essence or with not less than 21b. of roasted coffee per gallon in the case of a coffee and chicory essence. 8. Consideration has been given to the bearing of the foregoing recommendations on the use of alternatives to chicory in products regarded as falling within the broad definition of “Coffee Essence” adopted for the particular purposes of the Coffee Essence (Control) Order, 1942. The Committee are of the opinion that the sale of these preparations under the description “coffee essence” or “coffee and chicory essence” without qualification would, in general, be misleading. In addition, a requirement that they should contain not less than 21b. of coffee per gallon might prove embarrassing to the manufacturers. It is accordingly suggested that products sold under these descriptions should not be permitted to contain vegetable extractives other than extractives of coffee or coffee and chicory respectively. If standards including a requirement to this effect be prescribed for these two types of essence by an Order under the Defence (Sale of Food) Regulations, 1943, then under the Food Standards Order, 1944, it will be obligatory to describe products containing alternatives to chicory in such a way as not to lead an intending purchaser to believe that he is purchasing either coffee essence or coffee and chicory essence. Traders and the public will then be able clearly to distinguish products containing only coffee and chicory from those which contain alternatives either in addition to, or in place of, chicory. 9. The further question arises whether a standard chicory content should be prescribed for coffee and chicory essences. Although it is usually possible to ascertain the chicory content of such essences with fair accuracy from the figures for the ash and extractive matter derived from the amount of coffee calculated to be present by reference to the caffeine content, so far as the Committee are aware there is no method of sufficient accuracy for use in enforcing a statutory standard. Apart from this it appears to be unnecessary to fetter the discretion of manufacturers to the extent of fixing the relative proportions of coffee and chicory provided the combined weights of coffee and chicory are satisfactory. The standard proposed above for coffee and chicory essences will ensure a content of not less than 21b. of roasted coffee per gallon, and having regard to the weights of coffee and chicory used both pre‐war and at present in eighteen brands the Committee consider that it should be made a condition of the grant of a licence under the Coffee Essence (Control) Order, 1942, that these products should be prepared with not less than 41b. of roasted coffee and chicory per gallon. 10. The Committee accordingly recommend that : (1) Liquid coffee should be required to contain not less than 0·5 per cent. weight in volume of caffeine derived from coffee. (2) Liquid coffee essences should not be permitted to contain vegetable extractives other than extractives derived from coffee. (3) Liquid coffee and chicory essences should be required to contain not less than 0·25 per cent. weight in volume of caffeine derived from coffee. (4) Liquid coffee and chicory essences should not be permitted to contain vegetable extractives other than extractives derived from coffee or chicory. (5) In any proceedings in respect of an alleged infringement of the standard for coffee essences or for coffee and chicory essences, it should be a defence for the defendant to prove that the essence was prepared with not less than 41b. of roasted coffee per gallon in the case of coffee essences or 21b. per gallon in the case of coffee and chicory essences. (6) It should be made a condition of the grant of a licence under the Coffee Essence (Control) Order, 1942, for the manufacture of a coffee and chicory essence that the product should be prepared with not less than 41b. of roasted coffee and chicory per gallon. In a précis of the Committee's report which has been issued by the Ministry, it is stated that in certain Dominions coffee essences are required to contain not less than 0·5 per cent. weight in weight of caffeine, and coffee and chicory essences not less than 0·25 per cent. weight in weight. In this country a minimum standard of 4 per cent. weight in weight of dry coffee extractives has been proposed for coffee and chicory essences. Assuming that coffee contains 1·25 per cent. of caffeine, that it yields 25 per cent. of dry extractives, and that these standards relate to essences that have a specific gravity of 1·2, 0·5 per cent. of caffeine corresponds to about 4¾lb. of coffee per gallon, and 4 per cent. of extractives corresponds to slightly under 21b. per gallon. If the standards are expressed as a percentage weight in weight, manufacturers of products having a lower gravity would be able to use less coffee per unit volume of product than manufacturers of products of higher gravity. For this and other reasons the Committee consider it preferable to express the standard as a percentage weight in volume. In view of the above standards and the proportions of coffee used both pre‐war and at present in most of the coffee and chicory essences on the market, the Committee consider that a product should not be sold as coffee essence unless prepared with at least 41b. of roasted coffee per gallon, and that no compounded coffee product for producing a beverage should be sold as derived from coffee unless it contains at least 21b. of roasted coffee per gallon. In the absence of a direct method of determining the proportion of coffee used, and since part of the value of the essences must be ascribed to the stimulating effect of the caffeine content, the Committee recommend that the standard be expressed as a minimum percentage of caffeine. A coffee essence prepared with 41b. of coffee per gallon would, if the coffee contained 1·25 per cent. of caffeine, which is regarded as a fair average, contain 0·5 per cent. w/v of caffeine, and coffee and chicory essences not less than 0·25 per cent. w/v of caffeine. The defence suggested in recommendation 5 above is to provide for the possibility that the caffeine content of the coffee used may be below the average. Reference is made in the recommendations to preparations containing alternatives to chicory, which may be regarded as falling within the broad definition of “Coffee Essence,” adopted for the particular purposes of the Coffee Essence (Control) Order, 1942. The Committee consider that the sale of these preparations under the description “coffee essence” or “coffee and chicory essence” without qualification would, in general, be misleading. In addition, a requirement that they should contain not less than 21b. of coffee per gallon might prove embarrassing to the manufacturers. It is therefore suggested that products sold under these descriptions should not be permitted to contain vegetable extractives, other than extractives of coffee or coffee and chicory respectively. Under the Food Standards Order, 1944, it will then be obligatory to describe products containing alternatives to chicory in such a way as not to lead an intending purchaser to believe that he is purchasing either coffee essence or coffee and chicory essence. Traders and the public will thus be able clearly to distinguish products containing only coffee and chicory from those which contain alternatives either in addition to, or in place of, chicory. The Committee suggest that it is unnecessary to fetter the discretion of manufacturers to the extent of fixing the relative proportions of coffee and chicory provided the combined weights of coffee and chicory are satisfactory as suggested in recommendation 6.

This paper aims to explore the possibility of utilization of Asparagus racemosus as a novel natural preservative in meat products.

Chevon sausages were used as a study model and prepared by incorporating different levels of A. racemosus, namely, T1 (0.25 per cent), T2 (0.50 per cent) and T3 (0.75 per cent) and were vacuum packaged and assessed for various lipid oxidative stability and storage quality parameters under refrigerated (4  ±  1°C) conditions.

Significantly (p < 0.05) lower thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (mg malonaldehyde/kg) values were observed for the products containing A. racemosus in comparison to control indicating a significant effect on the lipid oxidative stability. The products containing A. racemosus also showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower values for various microbiological characteristics like total plate count (log cfu/g), psychrophilic count (log cfu/g), yeast and mould count (log cfu/g), anaerobic count (log cfu/g) and free fatty acid (% oleic acid) values indicating the antimicrobial and antifungal properties of A. racemosus. No significant (p > 0.05) effect was observed on the cooking yield and moisture content of the products. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores were observed for various sensory parameters of the products containing A. racemosus during the entire period of storage.

A. racemosus successfully improved the lipid oxidative stability and storage quality of the model meat product without compromising the sensorial characteristics and has a great potential as a novel natural preservative in muscle foods.

The purpose of this study was to assess the preservative potential of Tinospora cordifolia as a novel natural preservative in muscle foods.

Chevon sausages were used as a model system and were prepared by incorporating different levels of T. cordifolia, namely, T1 (0.25 per cent), T2 (0.50 per cent) and T3 (0.75 per cent), and assessed for lipid oxidative stability and storage quality under refrigerated (4 ± 10°C) conditions.

Lipid oxidative stability showed a significant improvement as the products incorporated with T. cordifolia exhibited significantly (p = 0.001) lower thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (mg malonaldehyde/kg) in comparison to control. A significant improvement was also observed in the microbial stability as T. cordifolia-incorporated products showed significantly lower values for total plate count (log cfu/g, p = 0.001), psychrophilic count (log cfu/g, p = 0.003), yeast and mould count (log cfu/g, p = 0.02) and free fatty acid (percentage of oleic acid, p = 0.01). Significantly higher scores were observed for various sensory parameters of the treated products during storage.

Tinospora cordifolia successfully improved the lipid oxidative and microbial stability of the model meat product and may be commercially exploited as a novel preservative in muscle foods.

This paper aims to to explore the possibility of utilization of Ipomoea batatas as a novel binding agent for hot-set restructured meat products. Further, green coffee bean (GCB) extract was used as a natural ingredient to improve the lipid oxidative stability and storage quality of the developed restructured mutton blocks.

Restructured mutton blocks were used as a model and were prepared by incorporating different levels of I. batatas, namely, 1, 3 and 5 per cent and analyzed for various quality parameters. Restructured mutton blocks containing optimum level of I. batatas were further treated with GCB (1 per cent) extract as a natural ingredient and assessed for various lipid oxidative stability and storage quality parameters under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 1°C).

Restructured mutton blocks containing 3 per cent level of I. batatas were optimized as best on the basis of various quality parameters. Although a significant declining trend was observed in the sensory characteristics with storage; however, the products containing GCB extract showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher acceptability. The mean scores for overall acceptability for products with GCB extract on day 0 was 7.4 ± 0.1 and for control was 7.3 ± <0.1. Significantly (p < 0.05) lower thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS, mg malonaldehyde/kg) and free fatty acid (FFA, % oleic acid) values were observed for the products containing GCB extract. The mean TBARS and FFA values for products with GCB extract on day 0 were 0.2 ± <0.1 and 0.08 ± <0.1 and for control were 0.3 ± <0.1 and 0.09 ± <0.1, respectively. The restructured mutton blocks containing GCB extract also showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower values for various microbiological characteristics like total plate count (log cfu/g) and psychrophilic count (log cfu/g).

The results showed herein indicate a promising industrial application of I. batatas (3 per cent) as a binding agent for restructured meat products and GCB extract (1 per cent) as a novel natural ingredient for improved lipid oxidative stability and storage quality.

A case study based on a number of similar businesses but illustrating some general points applicable to any independent retail business. Discusses the importance of location and a potential customer base and how these can be used to advantage. Considers the product range which needs to suit customers′ needs but should not be so broad as to be a hindrance to effective shop‐keeping; and the importance of layout for displaying products and ease of stock control. Considers, also, deliveries, advertising, accounting and priorities.

Argan nutshell wood (ANW) has been used in this study as an agricultural solid waste to remove Congo red (CR) from an aqueous solution in single and mixture binary in the presence of methylene blue (MB) or crystal violet (CV).

The ANW was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscope analysis. The effect of ANW dose (8–40 gL⁻¹), contact time (0–180 min), pH of the solution (4–11) and CR dye concentration (100–500 mgL⁻¹) on CR adsorption was studied in batch mode and evaluated by kinetic and isotherm models in a single system. In the binary system, the CR removal was studied from a CR + MB and CR + CV mixture with different percentages of dyes, ranging from 0% to 100%.

The pseudo-second-order and the Langmuir models could best describe the CR sorption onto ANW in a single system. In addition, in the case of the binary system, there is the appearance of a synergistic phenomenon between the CR and the other cationic dyes and the CR adsorption capacity increased until 12.24 mg g-1 and 12.06 mg g-1 in the presence of the MB and CV in the mixture, respectively.

This study demonstrated that ANW prepared can be suggested as an excellent potential adsorbent to remove dyes from wastewaters from single and mixture systems.

This study is original.

Other concentrated milk products are evaporated or condensed milks. These do serve as direct substitutes for the original, simply by the restoration of the original amount of water content. Large shipments of these products are going forward regularly from Canada and the United States to Great Britain. The next logical step in the process is the complete dehydration into powdered form. This has been an expanding industry in recent years. Milk in powdered form occupies only about one‐quarter of the space taken by evaporated milk and approximately one‐eleventh of the volume of the original fluid milk. Experiments are now under way in Canada to make further economies. Dried milk is usually packed in tins or small containers, in loose powder form. Half a ton of milk was recently sent from Ontario to Great Britain in the form of solid blocks, packed in large cartons. If these experiments are successful further important economies in shipping space will result. The drying of eggs has until last year only been incidentally carried on in this continent, and industries using dried eggs have depended upon China for their supply. The cutting off of this source and spectacular demand for military use and overseas shipment have resulted in a tremendous increase in output. In 1939 the United States egg‐drying industry prepared only 10 million pounds of dried egg products. By 1941 this had been increased to 45 million pounds, and it has been estimated that output in 1942 will reach 150 million pounds. Some fear has been expressed that the present expansion in the industry will have severe repercussions, when conditions of normal supply and demand are restored after the war. It should be noted, however, that production of this year's quota will involve operation of the plants twenty‐four hours a day throughout the year and that the industry can go back to a peacetime operation with an eight‐hour day and a four‐month season. On this basis output would be only 17 million pounds per annum, or slightly larger than pre‐war consumption in the United States. Egg drying in Canada has also begun to expand. During 1941 we delivered 15 million dozen eggs to Great Britain. These eggs were shipped in the shell, and owing to shipping delays their condition upon arrival was not always satisfactory. Egg deliveries to Great Britain in 1942 are expected to reach 45 million dozen eggs, and since February 7th all of these have been shipped in the dried form. Although the drying capacity in Canada has been sharply increased it is not yet capable of handling all the eggs available at the period of peak production and the surplus eggs are being packed for future processing. While there has been a substantial growth in the processing of milk and eggs by dehydration, the industry which has received the greatest publicity and aroused most public interest is the dehydration of vegetables. During the World War of 1914–18 a substantial quantity of dehydrated vegetables was prepared and shipped to Europe, primarily for the use of United States armed forces. These were not popular; in general they tasted like anything but vegetables, and the kindest description of their flavour was that it resembled hay. The industry died away at the end of the war almost as rapidly as it had risen. The last few years, however, have seen a revival of interest and of operation in the dehydrated vegetable industry. This revival has, curiously enough, been based upon discoveries made in research for a rival, the quick‐frozen food industry. In the earlier days of the latter industry the same problem of hay‐like flavour arose. Research indicated that this was due to activity of enzymes—those curious biological catalysts present in all living matter without which the chemical changes necessary for its existence could not take place. It was discovered by pioneers in the frozen food industry that a pre‐heating or “blanching” process immediately prior to freezing prevented activity of the enzymes during the period when the food remained frozen. As a result of the lack of chemical change the flavour remained unaffected. It is thus against the background of this research rather than as a result of immediate war demands that the dehydrated vegetable industry has so far had its development. For a number of years the industry in the United States has been slowly growing, and a survey conducted last year by the United States Department of Commerce indicated that fifteen commercial plants produced slightly less than 5 million pounds of dehydrated vegetables in 1940. Nearly two‐thirds of the output was in the form of powders to be used for seasoning, including such highly flavoured vegetables as onions, celery and red peppers. The remainder of the output was either in the form of mixed vegetables which, combined with animal protein and flavourings, make up the now familiar packaged soups. There has also been, however, a relatively substantial volume of production for dehydration and use in the form of the original vegetable. One company in fact has specialised in the production of potato shreds which permit the preparation of mashed potatoes in five minutes. The greater part of the output was purchased by hotels, restaurants and other large organisations where convenience in use was a major factor. The direct sale to individual consumers was only in the preliminary stages. The increased demand for food products in the United States, both for the armed forces and for shipment abroad under “lease‐lend,” has aroused an intense interest in the industry. The United States Department of Agriculture announced at the beginning of June a programme of technical assistance and priorities on materials for food processors desirous of converting their plants. Compared with the fifteen plants producing 5,000,000 pounds in 1940, there are now reported to be 113 companies operating dehydration plants, with an aggregate annual production of 125,000,000 pounds. Potential demand may be measured by the fact that if dehydrated potatoes were served to the men in the United States army only once a week it would require 7 million pounds of finished product per annum of this vegetable alone. The types of dehydrated vegetables most in demand are potatoes, onions, cabbages, carrots, beets and tomatoes. The important factor in all these products is quality. Dehydration is not a process for getting rid of second‐grade products. One successful operator has found that green peas for dehydration should be of approximately the same quality as those used for quick‐freezing, and must be better than the average quality of peas canned. If the product is to be restored to anything like palatable flavour and texture the flavour must be there to begin with. During recent months the Canadian Government has been actively encouraging experimental work in the dehydration of vegetables.

The main ingredients are soya flour, separated milk powder and oatmeal. In some mixtures vitamin concentrates are included. In theory they are admirable, but the chief objection to soup as a meal for a child is that it is difficult to get 1,000 calories into the stomach, even with a good hunk of bread. Thick soup is too filling. It is excellent for emergency use, as experience with the Ministry of Food canned thick soups has shown under “blitz” conditions. But, on bread and thick soup, a child feels full before it has eaten the 1,000 calories it is desirable to get into him. Health of children is, from all reports, whether from public, private or elementary schools, remarkably good. We were not a little worried at this time last year about the adequacy of the supply of first‐class protein for growing boys and girls. The position is now reasonably satisfactory and every effort is being made to see that what is required for development of muscle and bone shall be provided. You, Sir, have on numerous occasions emphasised your determination to see that the younger generations shall not suffer as the younger generations suffered in the last war from diet deficiencies. The spirit that has moved you to take that firm stand will be a powerful force in the post‐war period. I can foresee, and hope to live to see, the day when every child in the country shall be able to get a good nourishing meal at school if the parents so wish. There is another important aspect of this vast expansion of the school feeding programme. The proper planning of school meals is only one way in which the child will benefit. Education in the simple facts of food values will be an essential part of the school. Impressions formed in the minds of these young people will last their lifetime. That is fully recognised in America, where a big concerted drive is about to begin to put nutrition propaganda before every section of the nation. It is true that food habits of a lifetime are sometimes hard to change. Whether they are based on long‐established custom or deep‐rooted fallacies, or both, they are not readily given up by adults. No better illustration could be given than the reluctance of the mass of the people to purchase wheatmeal bread when there was a choice between that and the ordinary white loaf. On the one hand we were urged to force wheatmeal bread down the throats of the people and were assured that they would like it when they came to understand that it was good for them. At the other extreme we were emphatically told that the public actively disliked a dark loaf. My own impression, from a close study of the matter, is that the majority of people are “conditioned,” to use a much overworked word, to white bread and give little thought to other variety. They are certainly apathetic to any appeals based on food values. Most people go into a shop, ask for a loaf of bread, get a white one, as has always been the case unless brown were specifically asked for, and give no more thought to the matter. A striking example of this indifference has been provided recently in America, where there has been extensive commercial development of the manufacture of white flour “fortified” by additions of synthetic vitamins. Large‐scale production has been in progress for about a year. At first the public, stimulated by a vigorous publicity, bought the new type of bread. Sales rapidly mounted. That it was largely novelty rather than vitamins that sold the bread in the first instance appears to be shown by the steady fall in sales that has recently occurred. Had the public as a whole actively disliked bread that is not white, as we were so often assured, it would have been reasonable to expect a volume of protest when National Bread came into general use. No such reaction occurred. On the other hand, favourable comment has been widespread. The war‐time nutrition policy that aimed at improving the food value of bread either by use of long‐extraction flours or artificial reinforcement will certainly be reflected in post‐war developments. What line they will take is not yet clear. It is certain, I believe, that minimum requirements, at least in respect to vitamin B1, will be laid down. Whether particular methods of manufacture will be specified is another question. In this connection it is appropriate to mention that a new method of milling wheat has been devised as a result of collaboration in Canada between the Government Cereals Research Department, certain milling interests and an enthusiastic pioneer who is leading Canada's nutrition “drive,” Dr. F. Tisdall, of Toronto. This method yields a flour, as rich in vitamin B1 as an 85 per cent. wheatmeal and containing considerably more of other important nutrients of the wheat berry than the ordinary type of wheat flour. If there is a public taste in regard to the whiteness of its flour, and if it is of real significance, we have here what appears to be the perfect compromise because the new Canadian flour—to be known officially as “Canada Approved”—is truly white. In passing, I may add that to encourage the production of this type of flour in Canada the addition of synthetic vitamin B1 to white flour has been made illegal. But although we must admit a large measure of resistance in adults to new ideas about food I by no means share the view that it is always a matter of the greatest difficulty to change their food habits. Twenty years ago, perhaps even ten, a workman who openly drank a glass of milk in front of his mates would have had to face a barrage of appropriately phrased ridicule. America led the way with its encouragement of milk in factories. When the war broke out we were rapidly following her lead. Milk was being drunk in considerable and increasing volume in factories. People no longer stopped to stare if they saw a big, husky navvy drinking from a bottle of milk. We were told, when we tried to get vegetable salads into workers' canteens, to make good the loss of vitamin C which is almost unpreventable in large‐scale cooking, that the “hands” would not touch them. They didn't, when little or no effort was made to explain in simple terms what they were for or to serve them attractively. The conventional idea that salads can consist only of lettuce, cucumber and tomato and that they are only to be eaten with cold meat was hard to uproot. But, wherever canteen supervisors have taken even moderate pains to encourage people to try salads—and I am speaking of war‐time salads of shredded cabbage, grated carrot, potatoes, etc.—there has been a record of success. Of course, everything depends on who runs the canteen. In one factory in London it was found not only possible, but a simple task, to make a midday meal of the “Oslo” type popular in summer months, even with men doing relatively heavy work. The serving of a helping of vegetable salad as part of the meal has proved a success in a number of communal restaurants. It is invariably eaten and most people like the innovation. If it were offered as a separate item relatively few would ask for it, merely because they are unaccustomed to do so. This small helping of fresh vegetables is of very great nutritional importance. Large‐scale cooking in restaurant kitchens involves serious losses of vitamin C. Some are caused by vegetables being prepared and left soaking many hours before they are cooked, sometimes overnight. Even more serious losses occur during cooking. Finally, cooked vegetables which have to be kept hot for several hours suffer a further serious reduction in the amount of ascorbic acid. The result is that instead of providing at least 25 mg. of vitamin C, as we would like it to do, an ordinary canteen meal may contain no more than 5·20 mg., particularly in winter months. It is all very well for the nutritional expert to tell us that by taking certain precautions and modifying the methods of cooking vegetables a large proportion of this loss can be prevented. The hard fact is that it is exceedingly difficult, sometimes quite impracticable, to change the organisation and routine of a large kitchen. We know of no means of preventing loss of C when cooked vegetables are kept hot in insulated containers, as is frequently necessary. In four hours the ascorbic acid content of a helping of cooked potatoes can fall from about 6 mg. to 2 mg., and that of one of “greens” from 25 mg. to 10 mg.; losses, that is, of the order of 60 per cent. The small helping of vegetable salad overcomes the difficulty. We have found that there is relatively a small loss when fresh vegetables are shredded or grated. A helping of about 3–4 ozs. of mixed chopped cabbage, carrot, turnip and beetroot gives from 20 to 40 mg. of vitamin C: an amount ample for the average person's daily need. We are trying very hard through the medium of propaganda by the Ministry of Food and Board of Education to make the people salad‐conscious; in the hope that salads will become an accepted part of the daily meals of an increasing number of families, schools, institutions and hospitals. If the movement really gains good ground during the war period, when the choice is so restricted, it should spread rapidly when normal times come and the green‐grocer's shops show once again the rich variety of produce from home and overseas. It has been a hard, uphill fight to make “the man in the street” believe that garden vegetables are a good substitute for fruit, in the nutritional sense. I think we have made good progress, but there are many still unconverted. It is important that the truth of this matter should be widely known. Of the fruits we ate in ordinary times only oranges, grapefruit, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries are particularly good sources of C. Apples, pears, bananas, cherries and plums are relatively poor in this respect. When most of these fruits are unobtainable, as at present, it is important to know that we can easily obtain our vitamin C from cabbage and sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. We recently published, in collaboration with Dr. H. V. Taylor, of the Ministry of Agriculture, tables showing that a well‐cultivated allotment of the regulation size of ten rods, a mere 300 sq. yards, will provide all the vitamin C required for a family of four during each month of the year, even after liberal allowances for wastage and cooking losses. Moreover, the same crops will provide no less than half the vitamin A required by a family of that size. No stronger evidence of the immense value of an allotment could be produced. It will be a thousand pities if every effort is not made to sustain the allotment movement to the greatest possible extent after the war. After the last war the area cultivated in this manner fell rapidly as parks, building sites and other grounds were taken back for their original purpose. Of necessity, much land will have to be given up when peace comes again, but if our post‐war world, is, as Sir Stafford Cripps remarked on Sunday last, to be “consciously planned for better living conditions,” the immense national importance of allotments must not be ignored as it was in the “reconstruction” after 1918. Nor do I feel we should regard the British Restaurant as a temporary war‐time expedient. There will doubtless be a certain amount of agitation after the war directed towards their abolition.