Captain Scott biscuit and tin
1911
Biscuit tin from Captain Scott's expedition to the Antarctic
Huntley & Palmers were the principal suppliers of biscuits for Captain Robert Falcon Scott's 'Terra Nova' Antarctic expedition. The Expedition biscuits were specially made for the journey, to the following formula: flour 80lb, rice gluten 13 3/4lb, wheat meal 20lb, sugar 7 1/2lb, lard 2 1/2lb, salt 10oz, sodium bicarbonate 2 1/2 oz, water 40lb. They were baked to a final water content of 5% and each biscuit weighed 2 oz. In Captain Scott's day the science of nutrition was in its infancy. Modern research has shown that the polar party's daily ration of 4100 calories was 800 calories short, and their diet was deficient in vitamins as well as energy-producing elements.
Several varieties of biscuit containers still survive at the Cape Evans hut where Scott had established his winter quarters in 1911.
Museum object number
See related topic: Huntley and Palmers Collection