It is fairily well agreed in the tuna industry that if such 

 products are to succeed in a big way, it is essential that they be 

 produced in volume using specially designed equipment for filling 

 the cans as well as during other stages of the processing. None 

 of the products of this type have been thus produced to date. One 

 of the larger tuna concerns, however, is experimenting with such a 

 fully mechanized pack. The remainder of the tuna industry is 

 closely watching this development and if it is successful, without 

 doubt there will be other ventures in this field. 



The third class of specialty tuna products involves canning a 

 product having entireily different characteristics from the usual pack. 

 This includes such items as tuna spreads, highly seasoned tuna, 

 and smoked canned tuna. Some of these products have been prepared 

 from tuna flakes in an effort to produce a more desirable and 

 higher priced commodity than the low-cost canned flakes. 



These products can be produced only for very limited markets. 

 They are used as hors d'oeuvres or for other special purposes where 

 the demand could never be very great. Numerous such products have 

 been and are being produced in a small way. Seldom do such packs 

 exceed a very few thousand cases per year for any one producer. 

 It does not seem likely that production of such items could ever 

 have any very substantial effect upon the consumption of tuna. 



A possible impetus to production and marketing of specialty 

 tuna products may result from interest of the United States Armed 

 Forces in purchasing such products for use in rations. Such use of 

 specialty products as tuna and noodles, spiced tuna, or tuna and 

 vegetables J, if available at a reasonable cost, would be seriously 

 considered by the knayc This interest on the part of the armed 

 forces might provide an opportunity to the tuna industry to try 

 out on a large scale the marketing of such products. 



Furthermore, sale of ary form of tuna to the armed forces 

 might have advantages far exceeding the immediate small profits 

 involved. Inclusion of tuna products in such rations might 

 introduce tuna to mary individuals who never had tried it and 

 thus serve as an advertisement of such products. Doubtlessly 

 many such men, upon return to civilian life, would be influenced to 

 continue eating tuna and this effect might appreciably increase 

 the sales of tuna in the future » 



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