82 



hospital received a diet generous as regards the amounts of protein 

 and energy suppHed. It seems fair to conclude, therefore, that the 

 diet was certainly adequate for their needs. 



AMOUNTS OF FOOD WASTED AND ECONOMY IN UTILIZATION OF 



FOOD. 



Of the total food brought into the hospital, by no means the whole 

 is eaten. A portion of some food materials consists of inedible sub- 

 stance, such as the bone of meat, the shells of eggs, the skins and seeds 

 of vegetables, and the like, which is commonly designated as refuse, and 

 is taken into account in considering the composition of the food and 

 computing the quantity of nutrients it contains. But in addition to 

 this, more or less edible material is lost in various ways. There are 

 losses in the storeroom due to handling and in some cases to deteriora- 

 tion and decay. For instance, in cutting up large pieces of meat, like 

 a side of mutton or a quarter of beef, into smaller cuts, edible material 

 is often lost in trinmiing out bone and surplus fat. There are losses 

 in the kitchen in preparing and cooking foods. In paring vegetables, 

 as potatoes or squash, for example, it is not easy to cut off the skin 

 without taking- also more or less of the nutritive material beneath the 

 skin, the amount thus lost depending of course upon the character 

 and condition of the vegetables and the care observed in paring. In 

 transferring food from the kettles and pans in which it is cooked to 

 the dishes in which it is carried to the table, more or less adheres 

 to the cooking utensils and is thus lost. Of the food which is sent to 

 the dining room not all is actually served, the amounts provided being 

 commonly larger than are needed to feed the persons in the dining 

 room. More or less of the '"left-over" material is returned to the 

 kitchen and used in preparation of ''made dishes " to be served later, 

 but a portion of it is wasted. Finally, a portion of the food which is 

 served at the tables is frequently left uneaten on the plates, and as 

 such residue is of course untit for serving again, it is utilized onl}^ as 

 food for swine. 



In short, it. is practicalhMmpossible to store, prepare, and serve 

 food without more or less loss of edi])le material, the amount lost 

 depending upon the conveniences for storing and handling, the care 

 and intelligence of the persons who do the work, and the extent to 

 which food served is actually eaten. These losses, whether inevitable 

 or due to carelessness, are designated as " waste," as distinguished 

 from refuse, a term which is explained above. As explained on a later 

 page, some waste is unavoidable, and a reasonable amount is not incom- 

 patible with good management. 



For a comprehensive discussion of the utilization of food it would 

 be necessary to consider the amounts purchased b}^ the hospital and 

 brought into the storeroom, the amounts supplied from the store- 



