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virtually all Swedes exceed the standards recommended for the Swedish climate and body build. In the following tabulation a comparison of the average daily per capita caloric intake in grams is made among Sweden and other selected countries for 1967-68:

The earlier Swedish habit of eating a high proportion of bread and potatoes has changed to a healthier consumption of meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. Deep frozen foods are very popular, and semimanufactured products for baby foods and baking are appearing on the market to an increasing extent. The Swedes usually prefer cheese to eggs at breakfast, the former constituting the principal form of animal protein eaten at this meal. Meat prepared in pate form, meatballs, and elaborate fish dishes are frequent delicacies. Smorgasbords or large buffets with many kinds of fish, salads, cheese, and egg dishes are popular in cities, at gatherings, and in hotels and restaurants. Dietary deficiency is rare. With the exception of the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, there are no particularly dangerous food habits or unsatisfactory (unhealthful) cooking procedures.

4. Public sanitation

Meat and milk processing, storage plants, and sanitary handling facilities in Sweden are modern and adequate. Standards of food inspection and of supervision of food distribution are high. The widespread use of refrigerators and deep freezers, the cool climate, and the consciousness of sanitation among a universally literate population combine to assure a minimal incidence of food spoilage.

Urban areas, containing about 80% of the population, are well provided with piped water, which is adequately treated and continuously tested for purity. In rural areas water is supplied by small regional or private water works or from individual wells, springs, or streams. During the last two decades the expansion of sewage purification plants has proceeded at an increasing rate. In 1969 there were about 1,000 sewage purification plants using biological purification as opposed to about 10 in 1950. In spite of this rapid development, however, 20% of all communities with over 200 inhabitants were without sewage treatment plants in 1971, while another 25% has mechanical plants, and about 55% had either biological or biochemical purification plans, the only type now deemed adequate. Government subsidies covering up to 50% of the costs involved are available to communities in order to hasten the construction of biological purification plants. All new plants are of the tertiary treatment variety, and older plants are being converted as rapidly as funds permit. This was aided to some extent by the increased unemployment, which enabled the government to stimulate the labor market by constructing new treatment facilities. Sweden's problem is somewhat different from that of the United States, since its wastes are discharged largely into lakes, which are more vulnerable to contamination than rapidly flowing rivers. Over half of the research funds of the Environmental Protection Board was devoted to studies on the eutrophication of lakes. The fouling of the Baltic Sea represents an international rather than a Swedish platform, and Sweden is attempting to develop agreements with the other Baltic nations to prevent further pollution. Several conferences were held in 1971 and 1972 to define the technical problems and to formulate remedial action.

Collection and disposal of garbage and trash are governed by strict laws. Refuse is collected frequently in urban areas, mostly in open trucks, and is disposed of by incineration or controlled dumping.

Sweden has significant air and water pollution problems, and several special committees have been established to coordinate pollution control measures among different governmental and nongovernmental agencies. The National Environmental Protection Board, founded in 1967, is the central administrative authority for environmental affairs. In 1969 the Riksdag passed an environmental protection law which incorporates measures against water and air pollution, noise, and other disturbances. Under this law, the government is empowered to monitor the discharge of waste in the operation of factories and to require conformity with official guide lines. Municipalities are required to obtain special permission to discharge sewage, and biological purification is a minimum requirement for new applicants.

The largest single item in the environmental budget represents subsidies for municipal waste water treatment. The total annual investment for this

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090021-3