FOOD PROBLEM

Grey River Argus, 3 September 1917, Page 4

FOOD PROBLEM

AUSTRALIAN AND N Z FLOUR

RELATIVE MERITS,

! Witk a view to correcting misapprehensions as to the respective merits of Australian and New Zealand flour, a merchant informed the Wellington Post that the real cause -why Australian flour Was required was because ot its greater strength. In proof of this he stated that by using Australian Hour as against New Zeland or a mixture of both there was a gain to the baker of 9s 2d per ton, or one loaf in every 1001 b of flour ; but, inasmuch as Australian flour absorbed more moisture than New Zealand, allowance had to be made for evaporation after baking. So far- as Wellington was concerned,; it was not correct to say that Australian flour was cheaper than that made from New Zealand wheat. On the contrary, Australian flour from Melbourne cost £15 10s, net spot cash, e.i.f.e., whereas. South Island flour cost £15 3s 2d, with 2* per cent discount. Flour for New Zealnd Avas selling free on board at Melbourne today at £12 17s 6d to £13 2s 6d, and .10s per ton more if from Sydney. It was possible to buy 'an inferior flour at 10a per ton less, but such flour was not m demand, in New Zealand. Bakers preferred Australian flour also for the reason that it was stronger than New Zealand, and *the dough took less time ' ' pro ve. ' ' He had ascertained from a local baker what was the proportion of; Australian flour made up when New Zealand was used; .-• The mixture was five parts' of Australian to two of New JJealknd. The , flour used ' by one local firm for July comprised 125 .tons of Australian and. 85 tons of New Zea-jjand:-'from the South Island.' That indiiffited the requirements of its customers. No retail business was done in flour, and bakers' were the only custom>rs supplied., It -was suggested that economy might be effected by,. the use of pure -wholemeal for bread-making, •as it would at the samje time famish the people with a bread which, in- the opinion of many medical authorities, was more healthful than the ordinary I white bread. The reply was that there was a demand for bran and pollard that had to be met. The chief obstacle was hot raised by the bakers, but by the public taste, .which demanded a white bread. Brown bread was also ordered, but. it was not necessarily wholemeal bread ; in fact it was often a concoction, but it met any demand for brown bread. If whole wheat meal bread were in demand the bakers would no doubt readily supply it. Almost every locality had its' local taste, and therefore it did not follow that one kind of bread popular in one place would be popular in another. The bakers were guided by local preferences for it was useless to produce an article not generally saleable. This explained why bread made entirely from New Zealand flour might be taken in larger quantities in one place- than another. A 9 for economy, whole wheat meal was now sold by millars.at 2} per cent off .fine flour, so that if that difference' were passed on to the consumer it would represent a reduction of 3d off every half-crown's worth of bread. He thought that people who insisted on having white bread would not, froa*L motives of saving, turn from it to the wholemeal article.