[Comparison of time, material and preparation costs as well as nutritive value of conventionally prepared soups and sauces and corresponding "convenience foods"].

In a survey the food and labour costs arising in connection with the preparation in feeding centers - with about a thousand dinners - of conventionally cooked soups and sauces and corresponding convenience food were determined. For soups food costs are lower for convenience food than for conventionally prepared soups. Regarding the sauces, the costs of one of the two preparation manners is not definetely more favourable than the other one. The cost scheme will shift to the disadvantage of convenience food whenever it has to be modified in default of a comparable product, as for instance in the case of béchamel-sauce and horse-radish sauce. Considering the factor time, convenience food will be unambiguously superior to conventionally cooked soups and sauces. The preparation of convenience soups takes only between one fifth and one eighth of the necessary time for the preparation of conventionally, of sauces only between one sixth and one twelfth of the required time. Soups and sauces made out of convenience food have a lower energy content than the conventionally cooked ones.