Forty Billion Enemies (1941)

[Music] the shot that's heard around the world is still a symbol of freedom and guardian of our first line of defense great roaring shadows in the skies and watch on to the far horizon men and machines on an ever increasing scale build the essential equipment for our defenders and they the youth of the nation prepare to guard the ramparts of our American Way of life meanwhile the task of every man and woman in the face of the national emergency is an important one every ounce of efficiency is needed for healthy efficiency food is an essential factor and ours is a land abundant harvest of endless green acres where cattle are tended with infinite care to produce meat and dairy products of a standard unequaled anywhere else on earth the nutritive ingredients in these vast natural resources and in fruits and vegetables that way available throughout the year two miracles of man's ingenuity have made it possible for us to get the benefits of these health-giving food elements that are now so vitally essential one of these miracles is modern transportation fast trains speeding planes and great trucks rush the fresh wholesome product of nature from farms and orchards to every city in the nation that is the contribution of one of the modern miracles the other miracle is controlled mechanical refrigeration from the time food is prepared for use or picked on farm and orchard refrigeration protective and keeps it fresh and safe food is refrigerated on trains in trucks and then in the retail store where you buy it and take it into your home there was a time not so long ago when there was no controlled refrigeration to contribute to the protection of health here is what is written in the bulletin of a great insurance company and we quote in the summer months of bygone years the death rate ran high mainly because of the slaughter of young children by intestinal diseases diarrhea and enteritis long rank as the leading causes of death among infants but today this onslaught has vanished almost entirely one vital contributing factor is the improvement that controlled refrigeration has brought in the quality of milk and other foods Milt for example is now quickly refrigerated at the modern dairy farm and kept constantly under refrigeration until it reaches your home foods today are delivered to your door with their nutritive elements preserved by every advantage offered by modern science it is essential that this vital preservation be continued in the home to be without the essential modern refrigerator would be like going back to the days of the springhouse or the use of the well for storing food it seems unthinkable doesn't it but food must somehow be refrigerated if it's to be fit to eat turn to such practices might well make useless the progress being made in the science of food and health figures of one of the large insurance companies show that in the period from 1927 to 1939 when domestic electric refrigerators were adopted by some 14 million households the deaths from food poisoning decreased 83 and three-tenths percent a good share of which can certainly be attributed to proper preservation of food in the home no wonder the government holds strict supervision over the production processing transportation and distribution of foods yet all these benefits can be lost by improper home storage in only a few hours yes here is today's essential factor in our American life health health that mean strong and sturdy bodies for everyone much valuable time previously lost through illness caused by spoiled food can now be saved for each task no matter how great or small is vital in safeguarding us as a nation the contribution of proper food in building health should be started on the day of birth and should never be allowed to falter in public education the increasing emphasis on the factors contributing to health is invaluable let's listen in to what's going on in this classroom [Music] today we're going to take up the subject of food spoilage and it's cause once you've learned from your studies and science that there is life and practically everything you eat all living things contain billions of tiny bits of plant life which we know as mold yeast and bacteria some of them are harmless of our vicious and cause disease under a microscope mold yeast bacteria look like this and harmless or not it's an ever-changing rule of nature for them to multiply at an alarming rate and less control as they multiplied by the vision they spoil the food they live in and thus become enemies of health unfortunately or even a taste of food whether or not the bacteria have increased sufficiently to be dangerous this is particularly true when the pathogenic varieties those which carry disease are present now that we have learned from scientific experiment that high temperature enables bacteria to multiply very rapidly it has also been discovered that it low growth practically stops let's examine the importance of these by will take milk as an example and suppose it is being stored in a place where the temperature is 55 degrees a fairly cold temperature after 24 hours the bacteria in milk will multiply over 25 times this rate increases until after 96 hours they have multiplied almost 6,500 times but if milk is stored where the temperature is 40 degrees bacteria multiplication is very slow after 24 hours they will not apply to a one half time and after 96 hours or four days only about 22 times compare that with almost 6,500 times at 55 degrees these facts are established conclusively by bulletins like these many from the United States Department of Agriculture they all indicate the need a proper temperature control of that important item of food milk if bacteria are allowed to multiply health is placed in danger and this is also true love me s meats are even more difficult to keep safely because the bacterium them seem to be much more active at 55 degrees the bacterium meats will multiply 32 times in one day this increases enormously to 390,000 130 times in 96 hours or four days but if meats are stored at 40 degrees this rate of growth is only three times in one day and around 220 times in four days and if the temperature has dropped just five degrees to 35 degrees meets may be kept for days with bacteria multiplying only eight times instead of over 390,000 times at 55 degrees these facts were established by the agricultural Experimental Station of Iowa State College is therefore obvious that we must control food keeping temperatures scientific research gives us all this data on active food spoilage in order that we may guard against it or the protection of health the United States government recognizes this potential menace here's what the Department of Agriculture says in a press release epidemics of food poisoning reported every summer are usually directly traceable to improper refrigeration of foods of this roof bacteria infected custard mixtures of milk and egg raw and cooked meat especially ground meat are most often the sources of trouble in other words the foods we eat contain potential enemies by the billions we cannot depend on nature for defense some form of control refrigeration is necessary to properly preserve food and thus protect our health and that of our family yes indeed the building of health should be started on the day of birth and never be relaxed the contributions of our government of public schools and colleges to the knowledge of food preservation are of vital importance to everyone in the nation many private agencies also are devoted to the task of furthering knowledge on top of food preservation and preparation meetings like this for example are planned for the homemaker perhaps no other factor in the home place as important apart in the health of the family as the modern refrigerator complete knowledge of this appliance is therefore highly essential one of the first things to consider is exactly what occurs in normal operations in other words how does the cold circulate in an electric refrigerator here's exactly what happens cold air comes from the freezer it moves down to the center the cabinet until it reaches the bottom then it swings up the sides and circulates back to the top at a normal cold setting it's well below freezing in the freezer about 16 degrees under average conditions the next coldest place is directly below the freezer about 35 degrees in the general food compartment it's 40 degrees and at the bottom of the cabinet 44 degrees the air is now warm enough to start rising the compartments on either side of the freezer would be the warmest except the cold blanket of air around the freezer keeps them at 39 degrees now let's see what these temperatures mean to the food's here are the things the modern housewife buys every week plus a few leftovers and some dishes partly made up quite an assortment isn't it but in all of these items there are really just five general classifications of foods suppose we separate them according to those classifications we'll start out with frozen foods themes should be stored at temperatures well below freezing thawing reduces their vitamin content me are the most difficult of all to keep safely they need cold just above freezing but also need high humidity eighty to ninety percent because there are sixty seven percent water and dry out and shrink without moisture if the health of the family is to be protected milk must be kept fresh milk and cream are among the most perishable foods this group requires the next degree of cold just under 40 degrees and put the bottled and canned beverages along with them to kill before serving now for the staples and leftovers they need the standard temperature of 40 degrees this is the correct temperature for most of the food stored in the refrigerator the vitamins and minerals of fruits and vegetables are protected if they're kept at a temperature under 50 degrees these foods also require high humidity 90 to 100 percent now that we have the foods classified suppose we load them correctly and safely that is so their nutritive values are protected to do their part and keeping your family healthy each requires slightly different conditions the first step to keep food properly is to start with the right temperature 40 degrees in the middle of the food compartment you simply set the dial to that temperature 40 degrees this particular refrigerator automatically maintains the temperature selected regardless of kitchen temperature however if you have a refrigerator with the ordinary coal control just be sure you maintain 40 degrees in the food compartment at all times follow the manufacturers directions for proper control settings and now to properly load the refrigerator the frozen foods go into the compartment where it's well below freezing mix must have proper humidity revelation and circulation of air therefore they must be kept in a tray like this with a trivet or a rib bottom to permit circulation under the meat as well as around it and a loose-fitting cover to hold moisture and allow ventilation and place directly under the freezer if your refrigerator isn't equipped for the meat keeper like this one use the glass tray don't wrap the meat cover it lightly with wax paper so that it's properly ventilated and be sure to get circulation under the meat milk and cream go where it's 39 degrees they keep better as close to the freezer as possible but without touching it to prevent freezing and there's also room here for canned and bottled beverages simples go into the general food compartment where it's 40 degrees high water content foods like leftover dishes should be covered to keep the moisture in them here's the place to keep prepared foods like molded salads and desserts ready to serve refrigerator cookies and go to keep it chilled and remember always removes paper bag they have no place in a refrigerator they aren't sanitary and to keep the cold from penetrating foods remove eggs from the cotton and place it a wire basket or a bowl and put some low in the refrigerator here's something you may not know during summer months keep chocolate in the refrigerator or the oil will melt and spoil it another one shelf nuts should be kept in the refrigerator to prevent them from becoming rancid cold storage space is valuable so don't clutter your refrigerator with mayonnaise pickles and things like that still keep just as well on a cupboard shelf fruits and vegetables need slightly less cold but high humidity 90 to 100 percent exposure to air destroys their vitamins and causes them to dry out they should be kept in a cupboard drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator if you haven't a humid drawer use a crisping pan or one of those handy vegetable bags just be sure the foods are covered lemons oranges and grapefruit should be kept covered to prevent drying out always wash vegetables unedible portions and place in the refrigerator immediately if peas are to be kept several days do not shell them after shelling they lose their vitamins there are exceptions to these rules tomatoes are stirred in the food compartment because they don't hold up under high humidity the same is true of pairs or avocados and grapes berries if kept overnight should be lightly covered with wax paper and stirred in the food compartment they don't like too much moisture bananas are never stored in a refrigerator if right they will spoil more quickly it's green they will not ripen properly the storage bin is a great convenience for instance extra beverage bottles will be on hand or chilly when the supply in the refrigerator becomes low here's the place to keep extra cans of fruit juices crackers and cereals but never star potatoes or onions as they may sprout with everything stored in the right degrees of cold bacteria do not multiply to spoil foods and Menace your family's help it means better food protections and better health protections there are many important publications on this vital subject bulletins and pamphlets the results of exhaustive research on the care of foods and the protection of health are published by the various government departments and many private agencies they are available to any home maker there are other advantages in proper food preservation for instance you can store more food longer it saves time by reducing shopping to a once or twice a week basis it's an economy too because it prevents food waste and spoilage it lets you buy in quantity and take advantage of bargains and you can make more use of leftovers here's what a government bulletin has to say all wastes of food big or little our waste of Defense resources you're taking part in the victory program when you preserve food properly you're saving time and money too but above all you're making a vital contribution to the health of your family and that means to the health of the nation and as a factor so important to proper food preservation so important to health and economy yes of vital cog in the machinery of Defense this major appliance deserves proper care in the home whether a refrigerator is old or new proper care can help it deliver additional years of real service defrosting at proper intervals is important for the ice and frost act as insulators and prevent the maintenance of proper food keeping temperature this is costly because the refrigerating unit has to run a greater part of the time trying to attain the proper temperature do not set a definite day of the week for defrosting the accumulation of frost varies according to atmospheric conditions and the amount of food in the refrigerator follow the manufacturers directions for defrosting one simple procedure is to turn the dial to off remove the ice cubes leave the refrigerator door open and fill the trays with warm water this causes the frost to melt quickly always melt frost away never under any conditions use an ice pick to break it away if you prefer to defrost overnight turn the dial to defrost if the refrigerator is equipped with meat keeper or shallow tray remove the cover and the food and allow the moisture to drip into the tray how often should the interior be cleaned well once a week is a good rule and to clean it thoroughly remove all food from the shelves remove wire racks and clean them thoroughly bits of butter or a drop of cream are excellent breeding places for bacteria the human drawer and meat keeper should be washed in hot sudsy water every week if the refrigerator has glass shelves these should be washed in the same manner the porcelain enamel lining and the freezer our best cleaned with warm water and soda when wire racks are removed wash the top bottom and sides and be sure to clean the glides which hold the shelves to preserve the luster of cabinets finished in dulux or lacquer first be sure the surface is clean and dry and then apply a thin coat of wax lightly with a cheesecloth working small surfaces and polishing immediately when you clean house clean the condenser of your refrigerator if it's full of dirt it can't operate efficiently this is especially important in the older types equipped with fans the cleaning can easily be done with a small vacuum the newer refrigerators have plate type condensers which require no cleaning but can be dusted if desired most modern refrigerators have hermetically sealed units with a lifetime supply of oil they never need oiling open type units however do need oil occasionally any reliable electrical dealer will do the job and advise how often it should be repeated if you have an electric refrigerator you can get greater service from it by following these few simple rules we do have enemies by the billions proper refrigeration is needed to combat them and the electric refrigerator should be bought with the complete knowledge of the job it has to do it should be used directly to serve as the protector of health and it should be for properly for the housewife in the home is prime guardian of that essential factor the health of the American family and to her important task that modern miracle refrigeration contributes of vital part yes a healthy America is a strong America [Music]