ECONOMIC FACTORS 247 



less common in Western Europe than in the newer countries, 

 because in the former transport facilities and market organisation 

 are more complete, because the climate is in general cooler, and 

 because, moreover, people are more economical by the force of 

 circumstances in their habits. 



A considerable element of waste in all foodstuffs, and not less in 

 animal foodstuffs than in others, is due to heedlessness, prejudice 

 or ignorance on the part of consumers. In ordinary times, for 

 example, among rich and poor alike, a distinct preference is shown 

 for certain cuts of meat rather than others and for lean meat rather 

 than fat meat. 1 The result is that certain less desired cuts and 

 certain parts of the fat of the " finished " animal which cannot 

 be easily separated in retailing, tend to be wasted ; the former, if 

 not sold to the poorer people, are probably converted largely into 

 sausage-meat or fed to domestic animals such as cats and dogs, 

 while the latter may often be actually thrown away. 



Among the rich there has apparently been considerable extrava- 

 gance in the consumption of animal foodstuffs in the past. Ex- 

 cessive quantities of meat have been customarily consumed by them, 

 while other foodstuffs which are more cheaply produced have been 

 used in correspondingly smaller quantities. Butter has similarly 

 been consumed excessively by this class, mainly through being used 

 extensively for cooking. The proportion of pure waste is appar- 

 ently greater in this class than in others, 2 and larger quantities are 

 wasted from the human point of view, by the wealthier class 

 also, through being used for the maintenance of unproductive 

 animals kept for sport or as pets. It should be noted that the large 

 staffs of servants usually maintained by the richer classes tend to 

 live at the same standard as their employers in the matter of animal 

 foodstuffs. From the strict physiological point of view excessive 

 consumption of meat and other animal foodstuffs is to be regarded 

 as wasteful, since the excess of protein, at any rate, is not utilised 

 to anything approaching its full food value in the economy of the 

 human body. 3 There appears, however, to be little likelihood that 

 the wealthier classes among the white populations of the world 

 will materially reduce their consumption of animal foodstuffs in 

 the future. The present standard has become too firmly established 

 through habits bred throughout many generations, to be easily 

 altered. Here again, the tendency is illustrated for conventional 



1 See Chap, iii., above, p. 231. 



2 Investigations made by a Government Department in the United States 

 showed that the proportion of wasted foodstuffs in families whose income 

 was less than 800 dollars per annum averaged 3% to 4%, while that in 

 families whose incomes were between 1,000 dollars and 3,000 dollars averaged 

 10% to 25%. Journal of Political Economy, Chicago, Feb., 1916, p. 163. 



3 Animal foodstuffs, except butter, contain a high proportion of protein 

 which, in the economy of the human body, is required for growth and for the 

 renewal of wasted tissue. Excess quantities of protein consumed above these 

 requirements are converted into energy, which, however, can be much more 

 economically obtained from starchy foods. 



