I ••••••••••••••• ne BRv'>.NCH 'J)

Better Foods... Better Packaging AGRICULTURE INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 367 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE

Better Foods

Over the next 15 years, the world must prepare to feed an

additional one billion people...one-third of today's population. In

many areas of the world, hunger is a day-to-day reality for a half

billion people. By contrast, many Americans who are able to eat

whenever and whatever they want are still nutritionally "hungry."

Hunger in any form is the concern of agricultural research. The

challenge to food research programs is to increase food supply

and food quality while the number of food suppliers—farmers—is diminishing.

One of the ways to meet this challenge is to increase productivity. Agricultural researchers are breeding to increase productivity of livestock and crop yields. Also, through genetic control, they are making crop plants resistant to insects and diseases.

Higher yields, however, will be wasted if crops cannot be harvested in time, or stored and processed properly. Agricultural engineers are developing harvesters that cause less damage to fruits and vegetables, new storage facilities that result in less temperature change and handling while foods are in transit to

market, and specialized processing equipment that results in less waste.

Another way is to increase the nutritional quality of foods.

Food research programs are making proteins more complete and

wholesome, fortifying foods with natural nutrients, and blending selected, wholesome foods together to form new, highly nutritious food supplements.

And yet another way is to increase variety...more new foods.

The need to completely use the foods we already have and the

need to find other food sources is leading researchers into new and productive research areas. They are discovering new foods

from food wastes and byproducts, and from such nonfood sources as petroleum and grass.

Following are specific examples of how agricultural research is meeting the challenge.

NEW FOODS Many of the new processed foods are high in protein—child

food supplements and innproved oilseed flours, for example. At the same time, plant geneticists are developing higher protein varieties of corn, wheat, and sorghum that are adapted to areas of the world short in food protein.

Although foods may be obtained someday from such nonfood substances as petroleum, grass, micro-organisms, and cell culture, the basis of our food supply still remains with conventional agriculture.

New blended foods supply required nutrients at a relatively low cost. • These formulated foods are made by mixing several

ingredients. They are designed to serve as dietary supplements, not as the sole source of nourishment.

• Blended foods were introduced to provide the nutritional

needs of specific population groups-children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers-not being adequately met by existing food programs.

CSM (Corn-Soy-Milk), a blended food, helps feed starving nations. • Since its development, more than 1.6 billion pounds of this

blended food has been distributed to more than 100

developing countries. This blend currently costs the U. S. Government 8 to 9 cents a pound.

• Three and one-half ounces of CSM daily give one-half or more

of all the known nutrients and one-third of the calories required by a 1- to 3-year-old child.

In Biafra, a dreaded protein-deficiency disease called kwashiorkor has nearly disappeared among children fed CSM. CSM has also reduced night blindness in Indian children. After being fed CSM for a short time, Indian children were able to see in the dark for the first time in their lives. Night blindness is a symptom of vitamin A deficiency; vitamin A is one of CSM's nutrients.

• CSM can be served in a variety of ways. It can be made into soup, beverage, gruel, bread, or pudding.

• A new form of CSM disperses in hot water to form a smooth beverage. This instant CSM is especially suitable as a

high-protein supplement for weanling infants and small children.

WSB (Wheat-Soy Blend) is another new blended food. • WSB is being shipped to many developing countries. It is made

of 74 percent wheat flour and wheat protein concentrate, 24 percent soy flour, and 2 percent vitamins and minerals.

The wheat protein concentrate comes from byproducts of the milling industry. U.S. flour mills produce some 5 million tons of these byproducts yearly, containing an estimated 800,000 tons of good-quality protein.

• Scientists in USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have successfully developed fine-grinding and sifting techniques that separate wheat protein concentrate.

Two other new blended foods for infants have recently been developed. • A flour made by mixing soy protein and bananas can be

prepared for use as a beverage. • A mixture of ground chick peas, sesame flour, and low-fat

soybean flour can be prepared as a gruel.

USDA scientists hope developing nations can eventually prepare their own blended foods. • if CSM and WSB can be produced by techniques within the

economic and technological capabilities of developing nations, these countries can produce food blends from wheat and corn grown on their own land.

Protein-fortified wheat flour is yet another new food. • A high-protein flour is made by mixing 70 percent ordinary

wheat flour and 30 percent wheat protein concentrate extracted from wheat milling byproducts.

Several million pounds of the flour have been prepared for distribution in India and Iran.

• The mixture contains about 25 to 30 percent more protein than regular wheat flour.

The protein in the mixture has more food value than the protein in ordinary wheat flour because of its higher lysine content.

The wheat protein concentrate also is rich in niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and iron. Calcium and vitamin A are added.

A new process improves the nutritional value of cottonseed flour. • The process virtually removes a green pigment called gossypol

that gives the flour an undesirable color and flavor and lowers its food value.

The liquid-cyclone process (LCP) flour has a bland flavor and a light creamy color. It can be added to wheat bread mixes, or used to make beverages, gruels, and other foods.

Bread made with 25 percent LCP flour has twice the protein content of regular wheat bread.

• LCP has been set up on a pilot-plant scale for operation in India where much cottonseed is produced but not processed for human consumption.

Each 100 tons of cottonseed should yield about 18 tons of high-quality, edible flour.

Tempeh becomes more palatable. • Tempeh, a fermented soybean food popular in the Orient, is

now being made more versatile by modern methods. • ARS scientists have developed methods for making tempeh

from wheat and rice, as well as soybeans.

New beverages use cheese whey that previously created a disposal problem. • More than a billion pounds of low-cost, highly nutritious

cheese whey solids are discarded every year in the United States.

• Whey and soy flour, combined with citrus flavoring, can be made as a liquid concentrate or as a powder.

Because of its high food value and moderate cost, ARS scientists hope the whey-soy drink will find a place in improving the diet of people in developing nations.

• Whey and cream combined with chocolate or fruit flavoring make a concentrate that can be diluted with water for

drinking. Continuing research will seek more uses for the 14 billion tons of whey rich in vitamins, amino acids, lactose, and soluble proteins that the U.S. cheese industry produces

yearly.

Orange juice tablets expand the citrus market. • Lightweight and compact orange juice tablets can be eaten

like candy. • The tablets have the nutritive advantages of orange juice,

including caloric content, vitamin C, other vitamins, and minerals. Unlike regular orange juice, the instant kind does not have to be refrigerated.

And the search goes on. • Many foods popular in today's hungry world have been

improved by enriching them with proteins, vitamins, and other

nutrients. • USD A scientists are determining what nutrients the body

needs, in what amounts, and which foods supply them. • ARS nutritionists are seeking more knowledge about the

requirements by various age groups for amino acids, vitamins,

minerals, and other jiutrients.

FOOD RESEARCH Food research covers a broad area ranging from the farm to

the dinner table. Scientists are seeking ways to make food so plentiful that no one is denied a proper diet. They are studying

the elements of good nutrition and forming nutrition education programs that are used in communities to teach people the

importance of sound, sensible eating habits.

Some research relates broadly to the general public welfare or to the national economy. • Food consumption surveys evaluate the c(iet of this country.

Information needed to develop programs to improve the diet of "hard-core" poor families has come from 10 such studies. A diet quality study of preschool children has provided guidelines

for child feeding and family assistance programs. • Nutrition research has greatly improved school feeding

programs by developing flexible meal patterns that are attractive, while safeguarding children's nutritional needs.

• USDA solves problems that have been identified by individual farmers, county and extension workers, farmer cooperatives.

processors, marketing agencies, and civic groups.The results of such research have wide application.

Broader use for existing foods is a major research target. • Citrus-based, low-calorie sweeteners may broaden the use of

oranges, grapefruit, and lemons.

These new sweeteners range from 100 to 2,000 times sweeter than ordinary table sugar. The sweetness of all

these citrus-based products is pleasant and long-lasting. None of them has shown evidence of toxicity in preliminary studies. ARS scientists believe they show promise.

• New tropical fruit products provide a broader base for Hawaiian agriculture.

Papaya puree, as processed by new equipment, has a superior flavor because there is no bitter taste from the peel. The new puree is used for jam and jelly products.

New production and storage methods stabilize the flavor and quality of guava puree for beverages, dairy products, jams, and jellies.

Two new banana products are being produced commercially. One is a puree useful in bakery and dairy

Í SUGAR j

^

y

products. The other is a vacuum-dried banana that has been used as a chocolate-covered confection.

• A new wheat milling process produces a food protein

concentrate with 20 to 35 percent more protein than wheat

milled conventionally. The process is now being used by major flour companies.

The product is being used in food aid programs overseas.

• High-protein flour, from cottonseed, mixes with wheat flour

for many food uses. The process is economical. A U.S. firm is building a plant which will utilize the process, and a pilot plant is in

operation in India.

Wastes and byproducts yield dollar-saving secrets. • Whey, a waste product of cheese making, may help feed the

world's hungry. (See description under New Foods.) • Byproducts from the milling industry have become part of a

new blended food. (See description under New Foods.) • A new process squeezes out more of the valuable substances in

alfalfa. This process can tailor alfalfa to satisfy the more specialized feed requirements of today's agriculture. Alfalfa is also a

possible protein source for humans. • Grass-covered basins called plant-soil filters may be one

answer to the need for multiple reuse of water.

A pilot project in Arizona is presently turning effluent from sewage treatment plants into clear usable water. Predictions

are that multiple reuse of water will be necessary by 1980. Plant-soil filters cost about $5 per acre-foot, while chemical treatment runs about $50 per acre-foot.

• A new peeling machine developed by ARS may squeeze more

avocadoes into frozen guacamole, a salad product being marketed in many parts of the U.S. The peeler is expected to save more than 2 million pounds of avocadoes lost annually because of imperfections that make them undesirable for the fresh market.

Measuring food consumption and dietary levels. • During the past 35 years, USDA has made five nationwide

surveys evaluating the quantity, money value, and nutritive content of diets in this country.

Results have shown surprising trends in eating habits. U.S.

family diets, as noted in the latest survey, were not as good as they were 10 years earlier.

American families at all levels of income need guidance in meeting their nutritional requirements.

The latest survey reinforces the need for increased consumption of milk and nonfat milk products, fruits and

vegetables. Better food sources of iron are also urgently needed.

• To meet these needs, USDA is exploring the possibility of fortifying foods with iron and other needed nutrients.

A new process has been perfected to fortify pasteurized whole milk at the rate of 10 milligrams of iron per quart. This new process is economical and does not affect the flavor of the milk. Certain foods being distributed to needy families are now fortified-dehydrated potato flakes and granules (vitamin C and A), some fruit juices (vitamin C), and nonfat dry milk (vitamins A and D).

Nutrition guidelines for education and action programs help improve the health of school children. • Flexible meal patterns safeguard the nutritional needs of

children. • A continuing program of recipe development makes

nutritional foods more attractive.

A nutrition study indicates that zinc is essential for reproduction. • Adult rats fed zinc-deficient diets during pregnancy had

extremely difficult deliveries. Most of the young died in the process, and frequently the mother died, too.

• Current research indicates that the rat's need for zinc in reproduction has a counterpart in humans.

Better Packaging

Yesterday, the usual form of packaging was the brown paper

bag at the general store. Today, many perishable foods are carefully packaged at shipping points in a variety of natural and

synthetic containers ... of the 55 billion pounds of fresh fruits

and vegetables marketed annually, 46 percent is now prepackaged before delivery to retail stores. Packaging is now a vital part of

our marketing system. Shipping containers and other packaging items are necessary

for moving farm products from distant production areas to food processing firms and ultimately to the consumer. As a result of

packaging innovations, new markets for highly perishable fruits and vegetables have been opened here and abroad. Packaging can now protect produce from moisture loss, bruising, spoilage, insects, and mechanical damage, in addition to preserving the nutritive value and flavor.

Packaging costs are the second largest component of the marketing bill, exceeded only by labor costs. Yet, without the recent improvements in marketing, the Nation's food bill would be an estimated $10 billion greater per year. Lighter packaging materials—such as fiberboard and polystyrene—and more efficient

transportation systems have helped to reduce marketing costs. New packaging concepts also stimulate improvement in other

parts of the marketing system—as in the development of new types of transportation equipment.

For instance, ARS in cooperation with container

manufacturers and shippers has developed a prototype van container. It can be transported by truck, railroad flatcar, ship, or

airplane. This new shipping method saves time and money. It also

saves food quality by minimizing handling and makes possible

simultaneous shipping of several kinds of food having different refrigeration requirements.

Some of the major objectives of marketing research are to reduce costs of marketing; develop modular size containers and

performance criteria; protect consumer health by sanitary

packaging; provide more services and conveniences to consumers;

reduce spoilage and nutritional losses; help maintain and strengthen the competitive position of U.S. exports; develop new foreign markets; and increase the income of producers.

Packaging helps to develop new marketing outlets by: • Opening up new markets for highly perishable fruits and

vegetables here and abroad. New markets for fresh sweet corn and watermelons were developed in Europe in 1972.

• Protecting produce from bruising. The use of moisture barrier packaging prevents dehydration and wilting.

• Helping to reduce transportation costs. A transport vehicle, today, can move nearly twice the edible amount of carrots and cauliflower as that moved 25 years ago. The inedible tops and leaves are left in the field. The savings in transportation and refrigeration costs for these two commodities is about $4.5 million per year. Prepackaging lettuce at the shipping point rather than in retail outlets saves 30 cents a box in transport costs.

• Seeking to develop minimum performance standards for shipping containers used to export dry fruit. This work is being done in cooperation with the dried fruit industry of California and USDA's Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis.

• Developing packages suitable for foreign shipment in van containers.

• Working with other groups to get regular and dependable service through world ports. USDA is represented on industry and government committees to establish standards for containers and devices needed to handle them, to simplify paperwork, and to get international standards for package sizes.

Marketing scientists determine the proper storage and transportation environments for perishable foods, in order to extend their freshness and vitality for longer periods. • Temple oranges in cell-packed plastic trays arrived in better

condition at eastern markets than those place-packed in fiberboard boxes or wirebound crates.

• A test shipment of California grapes packed in 50- by 30-centimeter expanded polystyrene foam, wood, and fiberboard shipping containers arrived in London in good condition and met with favorable trade reaction. Newly developed 50- by 40-centimeter boxes for grapes are also meeting favorable response in the domestic market.

• New and cheaper containers were developed for shipping fresh

roses and chrysanthemums from California to eastern markets.

Packaging improvements are helping to prevent deterioration of food in addition to preserving nutritive quality. • USDA estimates that at one time losses in marketing fresh

fruits and vegetables averaged as high as 11 and 15 percent, respectively. There were also losses in nutritive value,

especially in vitamin C. Technological advances in packaging

have cut these losses. • New insect-resistant food packaging is reducing the need for

pesticides. • The world's first irradiator for pest control in free-flowing

bulk grain has been installed at an ARS laboratory in Georgia.

Research with this irradiator may turn irradiation to the

control of insects in packaged foods. • Packaging fresh vegetables and salad greens in a

semi-moisture-proof film helps to maintain high humidity

necessary for nutrient retention. Packaged and ready-to-serve

citrus fruits bring these sources of vitamin C to the table more often. A survey by ARS nutritionists shows that vitamin C is

one of the three nutrients most often neglected in U.S. diets.

Development of lighter weight packaging materials can reduce 60 billion pounds of shipping weight by about 15 percent, or 9 billion pounds, thus saving $270 million in transport costs. • USDA research has resulted in the development of fiberboard

boxes for apricots and prunes, to replace wood baskets and boxes. This will enable the cost of packing and shipping to be reduced by $1.5 million per year.

• Development of polystyrene foam boxes for fruits such as grapes and cherries makes possible a reduction in cost of about

$4 million.

• Packing and shipping poultry in dry ice packed in fiberboard boxes can potentially save about $15.7 million.

• For these five commodities, previously mentioned, the tare

weight of the boxes is 64 percent lighter than the commonly used wood boxes or baskets. This represents a total weight

reduction of about 570 million pounds.

• New shipping containers—polystyrene foam boxes and fiberboard boxes—developed for fresh western cherries offer

potential annual savings of $530,000.

• Packing and shipping of apples and pears from Oregon and Washington in 800-pound, 4-cell pallet boxes instead of

40-pound boxes showed savings in packing, packaging

materials, handling, storage, transport, and pilferage. • A new system for celery handling and packing, developed by

ARS researchers, reduces labor and equipment costs per crate

from the former average of 48 cents to approximately 30

cents. This new method can bring an annual savings of $1.4

million to Florida celery growers who produce about 8

million crates. Additional savings of approximately $2.5 million are possible if the system is adopted by other major

celery-growing areas. • ARS researchers are helping to increase efficiency of the

marketing system through standardization of shipping containers and unitized loading. The importance of this research is reflected in a recently estimated saving of $3 billion

per year in the food industry. This is based on an estimated savings of 20 cents per case for 15 billion cases of goods passing through the total food distribution system annually.

Outlook for the 1970's • Mergers taking place in the fresh vegetable and fruit industries

will have a major effect on packaging. Large companies will have the money to improve packaging of products and to be more daring. They will be eager to explore improved ways of packaging and marketing, thus enabling researchers to put

their ¡deas into effect. The entrance of these large companies into the marketing of fresh produce should trigger the

development of many packaging innovations. • Convenience foods are assuming greater importance and

demand convenient packaging. For instance, consideration

may be given to the feasibility of removing skin from

avocados. Removing the inedible parts of some fruits and vegetables frequently aids in making them more convenient to

prepare and serve. • Packaging of produce in more convenient forms, such as

ready-to-serve grapefruit halves and peeled oranges for

individual servings in the home or in institutional outlets, is

forecast for the 1970's. Other ready-to-serve possibilities are

sliced onions, apples, and carrots; cooked beets; vegetable

salad mixes; melon balls or halves; fruit salads; and segmented

broccoli and cauliflower. • New and more attractive packaging will be developed. For

example, dark-colored commodities are not attractive in most

film bags now in use. • There will be new packaging materials. New combinations of

packaging materials are also needed, such as pulp or plastic trays with plastic netting for windows. More informative

labeling and open dating of packages will be carried out. • New packages adapted to the needs of distributors and

consumers in foreign countries will be developed.

• Consumer preference studies will be conducted.

• New marketing concepts will be researched—changes in physical distribution that can be facilitated through changes in

packaging. • Wholesale and retail store package use requirements will be

studied, as well as the requirements of institutional markets.

• New packaging materials and machinery will be evaluated to

determine suitability under varying conditions.

• Consumer packages and shipping containers suitable for meeting the requirements of air transport are being developed.

It may be possible to prepare, package, and transport by air highly perishable products at less cost than to ship the raw

materials by surface transport and prepare and package them in the terminal markets.

• New shipping containers and packages will be developed for

merchandizing flowers and foliage plants in supermarkets.

Prearranged bouquets of mixed flowers will be packaged by flower growers for mass distribution through supermarkets at

nominal prices.

• Use of aluminum for packaging is expected to increase. This material makes a unique food package because it is resistant to

greases and oils, is odorless, tasteless, nontoxic, and does not shrink, swell, or soften. It is a good conductor of heat, but

does not burn, and will not crack in the freezer.

• Improvements in packaging will help to stem, if not reverse, the downward trend in per capita consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

This publication combines information from, but does not supersede, three previous publications: "New Foods," "Food Research," and "Packaging America's Food." More information about the food and marketing research programs of USDA's Agricultural Research Service is provided in AIB 341, "Toward the New...A Report on Better Foods and Nutrition from Agricultural Research," and AIB 355, "Consumer Products by Design...A Report on New Foods, Fabrics, and Materials From Agricultural Research." Copies may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Prepared by Agricultural Research Service

Washington, D.C. Issued August 1974

For sale by the superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402