We Are What We Eat: Food and American Identity at the National Archives

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Firing Line
The government called for conservation during World War II, encouraging citizens to hoe "victory gardens" for civilians and troops. In one Disney-produced short, Minnie Mouse cooks bacon and is about to give the drippings to Pluto when a voice-over instructs her to put the bacon grease in a tin can and take it to an "official fat-collecting station." Fats make glycerin — and glycerin makes explosives, Mr. Voice-Over explains, which means Minnie's bacon could give "some boy at the front an extra clip."

• Photos: A Worldwide Day's Worth of Food