EXTRACTION RATE FROM FLOUR

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26198, 23 August 1950, Page 9

EXTRACTION RATE FROM FLOUR

EARLY DECISION EXPECTED

An early decision is expected ftom the Government on representations for a lower flour extraction rate from wheat in New Zealand. This Was

stated by the chairman (Mr R. J. Lyon) and the director of the Wheat Research Institute (Mr E. W. Hullett) at a meeting of the Wheat Research Committee in Christchurch yesterday.

It was said that there was no restriction on the extraction rate, said Mr Lyon, speaking from the millers’ point of view, but the price of flour was in fact based on a 78 per cent, extraction. The Health Department was vitally concerned in the level of the extraction rate, he continued, for there had been all sorts of things happening in England and evidence might be brought to show that a high extraction rate was beneficial to health. If an alteration was made it would be necessary to assure the Health Department that the flour retained a sufficient vitamin content.

Although the attitude of the Health Department was certainly a factor to be considered in any move for a lower extraction rate, said Mr G. A. Carter, when the matter had been taken up with the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr C. M. Bowden) it had been shown that the high price paid for imported wheat was also a Consideration, as it was desired to get as much flour out of this wheat as possible.

Ip England, said Mr Hullett, the Post-War Loaf Committee had laid down that a minimum vitamin content of 2.4 parts in 1,000,000 was desirable in flour, and this could be obtained by an 80 per cent, extraction rate. “We can reach that vitamin level with a lower extraction rate,” he continued, “and we find it hard to see why a higher vitamin content should be required in New Zealand than in England. We can go below the 78 per cent, rate and retain the necessary nutritional value.”

Mr Hullett added that a lower extraction rate would also facilitate the handling of Australian wheat. At a high extraction rate the floqr from this wheat tended to show considerable variations in quality from a baking point of view.