QUALITY OF FLOUR

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28983, 26 August 1959, Page 11

QUALITY OF FLOUR

“Difficulty Is Transient”

“The difficulty with flour quality reported by some Auckland bakers is transient, as steps taken by the Wheat Committee should quickly assist in overcoming any problem for those bakers who have said they have had difficulty,” said the general manager of the Wheat Committee (Mr L. C Dunshea) yesterday. Mr Dunshea was commenting cn a complaint by a spokesman for the Auckland Master Bakers’ Association about the quality of flour received by Auckland bakers.

“As the result of seasonal conditions the last Australian crop was a bumper one,” he said, “with the baking quality of the wheat generally below its usual level. This is in contrast to flours produced from South Island wheat this year, which are high in baking quality. “However, as was stated earlier by Mr E. W. Hullett, director of the Wheat Research Institute, it was not expected that Australian wheat shipped to New Zealand would give rise to any particular problem in bakeries. Later Shipments “Recently some bakers have reported difficulty with some of the flour produced from one or two of the later shipments. To assist, we have increased shipments to Auckland of good quality South Island flours milled from New Zealand wheat for use with loc-ally-produced flours by those bakers who may have difficulty. Apart from this, and as a result of our approach to the Australian Wheat Board which is anxious to assist, the board will supply wheat from Newcastle.

“This wheat has been tested by the Wheat Research Institute, which ’reports it to be of good baking quality. The first of this will be shipped to Auckland bv !he next wheat vessel which will be the Kawaroa. scheduled to load on September 3. Some will be sent to Tauranga by the next vessel shortly afterwards.” Mr Dunshea said everything he had said was known to the Auckland Master Bakers’ Association before it made its statement on Monday.