N.Z. FOOD MANAGEMENT AS WORLD EXAMPLE

Grey River Argus, 12 November 1948, Page 4

N.Z. FOOD MANAGEMENT AS WORLD EXAMPLE

(Rec. 9.0). WASHINGTON, Nov. 10. New Zealand was named to-day as an example of “the practicability and value of good food management” in a report of the Food and Agricultural Organisation, which added, however, not all nutrition problems had been solved. “Before the war, the chief deficiencies in the New Zealand diet were iron, iodine, calcium and thiamine”, it stated. “Jodized salt was introduced, and the incidence of goitre, among school children, fell from 33 per cent, to eight per cent. The use of a higher extraction of wheat doubled the intake of thiamine. “The free milk scheme, covering 90 per cent, of the school children was introduced to overcome the deficiency of calcium. These, coupled with the high level of food consumption, resulted in improved health, and progressively lower mortality rates". The report added that, despite this, not all New Zealanders received an adequate calorie level because of their failure to distribute food supplies in accordance with nutritional needs.