Man and his food

Abstract

Extract

There are many specific aspects of developments in the food industries that could be discussed, such as artificial meats, single cell protein production, the direct extraction and utilization of protein from plant material, the lack of adequate research on human nutrition, the increasing importance of food technology, or on a more national scale, the steps we in New Zealand must take to continue to market high-quality, wholesome food products, after weeks of transport, so that they can retain their appearance and quality, and compete with other countries' products in the premium price range. In helping New Zealand to make the transition from the “mass production of cheap food for the one or two markets” philosophy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the veterinary profession share strong common interests. Between us we must try for greater effectiveness in caring not only for animal populations, but for the individual animal which has to be bred, reared, transported and processed with the major and continuous aim of seeing that the final food product that results can induce individual consumers to purchase the same premium product again and again. In this whole process the veterinary, agricultural and economic professions in New Zealand must improve their capacity to integrate their activities with those of the farmer as far as necessary while retaining the specialist independence that makes effective team work possible.