BRITISH SCIENTISTS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1931, Page 5

BRITISH SCIENTISTS

AT WORK ON DOMINION PRODUCE Modei'n meals depend as much on the scientist as on the cook. An apple sent overseas owes its crispness to a host of engineers, biologists and chemists working unobtrusively in the background. That is why the British Government is spending around £-33,000 a year on scientific* research into the transport and storage of food (quite apart, from what is spent by private firms and what goes on over enforcing standards of purity). Britain has an organisation called the Food Investigation Board, under the Department of Scientific* and Industrial Research wHh laboratories at Cambridge, Aberdeen and East Mailing, to direct the whole of this research, and advances have recently been made all along the line.

Britain, of course, depends so much on imported food that a reduction of one per cent, wastage would mein millions saved. But there is another side to it. Over half of the money conies from the Empire Marketing Board because this research is tending to improve the quality of Empire produce and so to ope,n up markets for the Dominions’ goods. In the end it will help the Empire farmer as well as improve the British dinner.