EMERGENCY RATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1943, Page 4

EMERGENCY RATIONS

4 EXPERIMENTS IN AUSTRALIA. SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM JAPANESE. (By Telegraph—PY-ess Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m ( ) MELBOURNE, This Day. Dietetic research officers attached to the R.A.A.F. have been experimenting with the production of compressed emergency rations for issue to all R.A.A.F. crews. As a basis for comparison, these officers have analysed Japanese naval emergency rations. The enemy samples, wrapped in edible rice paper, came from the Yokohama Navy Stores. The ration is highly compressed, being about a quarter of the size of the present Australian services emergency ration, which it packed in a hundred cigarette tin. This Japanese ration comprises five compressed cubes, containing glucose, butter, dried milk, peanuts and some small seeds. The taste is described as “vaguely Oriental.” The ration supplies’ almost as many calories as the much more bulky Australian emergency ration. This is designed to enable a man to “live off his fat,” at the same time supplying sufficient heat units to keep his energy high. Other Japanese ration issues have been found to contain a high proportion of kelp, a seaweed with valuable nutritive qualities, as well as a healthful iodine content.