One of the main problems faced by the settlements in Spitsbergen during seven months of winter isolation is that of storing food. During the last thirty years much experiencehas been gained, and food standards have steadily improved. At one time the population had to subsist on salted, tinned and dried food for much of the winter, but fresh meat, fish, vegetables and even fruit are now available throughout the year. Although vegetables become withered by the end of the winter, they meet ordinary household requirements. The vitamin content is presumably retained, as no sign of scurvy has been reported among the miners for many years.