Antecedentes históricos de la actividad dietética en España: los trabajos del Laboratorio de Higiene de la Alimentación de la Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (1932-1936)

The dietetic activity carried out by the National Public Health School between 1932 and 1936 is analysed. The works published by the staff assigned to its Food Hygiene Laboratory have been used as the main source of information. In order to be able to prepare dietetic diets adapted to Spain's reality, it was intended to find out the chemical composition (water, starch, proteins, fat and mineral salts) of Spanish food items and their vitamin content. Following the recommendations and criteria of international organizations, a study was made on some of the products most frequently consumed, like olive oil, potatoes, fresh and tinned tomatoes, the strawberry, the garden strawberry, pears, plums and the prickly pear, as well as some tinned foods. The results obtained revealed the differences that existed with the data offered by foreign authors, and highlighted the higher amount of vitamin resources from products like Andalusian olive oil or the fresh Valencian tomato. These differences were attributed to the geoclimatic factor. In the case of stews (made with meat and chickpeas), the paella and the egg yoke, the changes that cooking processes could cause in the composition of the food products used were also studied.