346 



Mr. Lennon. In other words, some 9 montlis ago. 



Mr. Beckmann. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. Over what period did your contract provide for the 

 delivery that you have been referring to of the 2 million pounds ? 



Mr. Beckmann. I believe it was within an additional 9 months. 



Mr. Lennon. Do you anticipate that you will actually deliver and 

 receive payment for 2 million pounds within this period of time? 



Mr. Beckmann. I do now, yes. 



Mr. Lennon. Do you now have and have you had a capability to 

 make this delivery much earlier than you have been called on to make 

 it? 



Mr. Beckmann. No, we have not. 



Mr. Lennon. You have not had the capability? 



Mr. Beckmann. 'No. 



Mr. Lennon. In other words, you are saying to the committee that 

 it is your judgment that you will actually deliver 2 million pounds to 

 AID of fish protein concentrate. 



Mr. Beckmann. Yes, it is. 



Mr. Lennon. Now, that has a very fine nutritional value, doesn't it ? 



Mr. Beckmann. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. That is basically what it is. Can you sell that in this 

 country ? We need it badly, everybody says. Our people are not hun- 

 gry from lack of food, but from lack of nutrition and everybody 

 agrees that this is an ideal food additive for that purpose. 



Can you manufacture it and sell it commercially in this country? 



Mr. Beckmann. At the present time, we are restricted to sale in the 

 United States in containers smaller than 1 pound. 



Mr. Leni^ on. In containers smaller than 1 pound. Is that the Fed- 

 eral Food and Drug Administration's requirement? 



Mr. Beckmann. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Lennon. But they have approved this particular protein, 

 haven't they? 



Mr. Beckmann. Yes, sir. It is approved for human consumption 

 and we are restricted on the size of the package in which we can sell it. 



Mr. Lennon. Wliy is that ? If it is needed and everybody says it is 

 needed and it ought to be used in meal and grits, hominy, bread, and 

 so many, many things, why is it that you can't use it in this country ? 

 The Federal Food and Drug Administration has approved it for sale 

 overseas and yet we won't let our own people use it. Is it the aroma or 

 flavor ? You ought to know because you make it and try to sell it. 



Mr. Beckmann. I don't know of anything in the product that re- 

 sults in this restriction. 



Mr. Lennon. What has been done, is what concerns me, to change 

 this restriction. Has anyone at the executive level made an effort to 

 try to change the policy restricting the sale of it in boxes of a pound 

 or less. 



Mr. Beckmann. We have made applications to FDA, we, as a com- 

 pany, and have had assistance from the Bureau of Commercial Fish- 

 eries, and our estimate on the length of time that is required to get 

 approval of this change is of the order of 18 months to 3 years. 



We have talked with Food and Drug, specifically with Dr. Ley, 

 who I think is interested in making some real progress in this direction. 



