CHEMICALS IN BREAD

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26198, 23 August 1950, Page 8

CHEMICALS IN BREAD

USE NOT PERMITTED IN N.Z.

VARIATIONS IN FLOUR QUALITY

Bakers in New Zealand were not allowed to use in their bread potassium bromate —a useful weapon to minimise the effect of differences in the quality of flour—which was used by bakers all over the world, said the director of the Wheat Research Institute (Mr E. W. Hullett) when the need for uniformity in the quality of flour in New Zealand was raised at a meeting of the Wheat Research Committee yesterday. Mr Hullett said the chemical was found naturally in springs in Germany, and five cups of water taken from the water supplies of some English towns contained as much bromene as would be contained in the bread consumed by. one person during a day. Quite large quantities of potassium bromate could be consumed without any harmful effects, he said. In America various chemicals were added to bread such as anti-mould and anti-staling agencies, but he was personally against making bread a prescription, said Mr Hullett. New Zealand bread, he added, was among the purest in the world. The root cause of the variations in flour was said to be the use of imparted Australian wheat. Mr G. A C arter said that bakers wanted more New Zealand wheat to be grown. Mr Hullett said that Australian wheat was graded without baking qualities being taken into account.