DUNEDIN BREAD QUALITY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24959, 21 August 1946, Page 6

DUNEDIN BREAD QUALITY

DARK LOAF PROBLEMS BEING OVERCOME WEATHER’S EFFECT ON WHEAT AND FLOUR According to a report from Dunedin, consumers there will soon have flour and “white” bread comparable with those of other parts of New Zealand as a result of installation in the mills of the Wheat Research Institute’s centrifugal machines, which have already proved their value elsewhere in helping mills to achieve the 80 per cent, extraction satisfactorily. What lies behind this report was explained yesterday by,-the chief chemist of the institute (Mr E. W. Hullett), who said that Dunedin was 4he area to which he had referred some time ago when he said that one New Zealand district was encountering serious difficulties in the change to a higher flour extraction. The chief difficulty was sprouted wheat through adverse weather, plus the lack of suitable machines for the mills; and the main disadvantage was the darker, comparatively poor loaf. The Dunedin report states that adverse harvest weather had made it impossible to save crops in good condition. and most of the wheat was sprouted. The decision to step extraction up to 80 per cent., coming on top of these conditions, had increased the apparent effects of the damaged wheat. The reorganisation of the mills necessary to produce the higher extraction product had been accomplished only with great difficulty, especially in the absence of previous experience. The availability of the institute’s machines, though designed primarily for a different type of extraction. had been opportune, and those already installed in some Dun- ■ edin mills were obtaining the results I claimed for them.