Myths about Convenience Food Costs

Abstract

Do modern convenience foods cost a lot more than less highly-processed ones?

Are housewives really being extravagant in using them to save time and effort?

Are they the real culprits in slashing the farmer's share of the food dollar in recent years?

These are some of the questions that have been debated in Congress, the press, and within the food industry as pre-cooked meals, cake mixes, frozen fruits and vegetables, and a host of other convenience items have grown in popularity. In the past few years an increasing volume of material has been coming from the U. S. Department of Agriculture that throws more light on these controversial questions.