1940 - Food Availability

Food Availability

Britain's Ministry of Food begins rationing January 8 with controls over butter, sugar, and bacon. Rationing follows thereafter of meat, cheese, preserves, and tea in fixed quantities per capita, allocating supplies equally and keeping prices at levels people can afford. Milk and eggs are allocated. The ministry institutes a point system for canned meat, fish, fruit, and dried fruits that can be purchased with special coupons; bread, flour, potatoes, and many other items remain unrationed. U-boats sink 160,000 tons of British shipping in September. The fall of France has left Britain to carry on the fight against Germany and Italy with whatever help she can get from America and the Commonwealth nations.

Black markets flourish in occupied and unoccupied France. Bread and other food staples are rationed, and consumers pay premium prices to obtain more than their allotted rations. Britain has few instances of black markets; food subsidies operate to keep prices stable.

The extraction rate of British bread rises to 85 percent, helping to compensate for shortages of other foods that provide the nutrients ordinarily lost from refined white bread. The Ministry of Food's Food Advice Division produces leaflets, films, and radio broadcasts in an effort to teach catering workers and the general public how to use unfamiliar foods, such as dried eggs and milk, how to make the best use of vegetables, and how to prepare dishes that require few rationed ingredients.

Britons increase consumption of milk, thanks in large part to government schemes to provide cheap milk for expectant mothers and children under age 5, free milk to schoolchildren, and chocolate milk for adolescents. Consumption of cheese, potatoes, carrots, and green vegetables also increases.