STANDARD BREAD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14452, 26 May 1911, Page 2

STANDARD BREAD.

WHAT IS,THE "STANDARD?"

A iew days ago Fullers' Pictures included a film ''Making Standard Bread." M-r.st people who saw the film, or heard 1 or read of it, probably wondered "W.htrt does 'Standard'bread moan;-'" It appears .that someone in London adopted a principle—-or a fad—that bread ought to contain a larger ; prr,portion of the whole substance of wheat than bread usually does. He adopted 80 per cent, as the proper proportion, called the product "Standard" bread, and appears to have built im a b.g bakery business on the strength of tlie principle—or fad—represented' by that title. At a recent conference at the Institute of Hygiene, London, one sitting was devoted to the subject of "Breads and their Nutritive Value." Dr. Strickland Gocdall, lecturer 011 physiology .at Midllesex Hospital, moved "That as bread is the chief focd of the people—and especially the food of the young—means should be taken to secure a high standard of purity and quality in the interests of tho. public -health." Dr. Goodall made Standard Bread the text of his remarks. He said he was in agreement with the spirit of the Standard Bread movement, but lie would like to make it equally clear that, from n r/ty&iological standpoint, ho considered that far too much had been churned tcr Standard Bread. Standard Bread, as lie understood it, was bread made from flour containing 80 per cent, of the graiu, whereas orinarv bread was made iroin Hour containing from <7O to 7o per cent, of the grain, the main difference between Standard . Bread and ordinary bread that the former contained a little more protein, and more iat and more bran than tho latter. In point of fact were these differences of any great importance? Personally he doubted very much jf they were. Most peoplo ate bread because it conta i nod" carbohydrate (starch), and not because it contained either protein _or fat. That bread was deficient in .protein and fat was usually so well recognised and appreciated that, people ate bread with butter, dripping, or margarine to supply the fat delio:ency, and in j lie or meat in some form or other to supply the protein. Perfronallv lio did not consider t/iat Standard Bread was by any means a perfect food, and ho v doubted very nutch if it needed to be. Yet the agitation ior nunty and quality in bread must do good, even if it- only awakened the public interest in a subject of undoubted importance. Mr C. S. Goldman, M.L\, said that we were living in an ago of appearances. and even in. the question of bread were not immune from th* ton(lsury of gauging the value more from colour than nutritive quulitv. Colonel Mark Mavhew. sj>?nk ; n" as a miller, fr «id that lu% with many other?, was rather surmised when r::m:e three months ago it- was sugge-A- , .* uia k miliars should produce a flour wh:ch contained a great deal more of the wheat than they had be«n producing lor a long time. He could not understand why the figure was fixed at 'til by should it not- b^ per cent, or S2 per cent.? Medical men gave it as the result of their experience that the verv pure flour made into broad was not .so suitable for poopio as bread mado from flour .containing a considerably higher percentngo of the wheat h: ; rrv. opinions could not eas : !y Ik> s? t aside and it was pivbably because oi' t.h's that the bakers noj-o dointr their best Jd I '" s]lioncd ~ farmhouse

Mr. .Tame-, Richardson said that for more than liftren years lie had held the opinion that bread made from P0 per cent, of rlie wheat berry was more palatable and more nutritious than other lrrenci. Re had nut such bread on t,.ie market in bis own m-ghbnur-bcod, but the customs of the ma,'-;es were very decnly ruoted. :iml he had to Wil't. tbe'rerore. 1,-1,, f ; - om the press eel ere lie attaim'd any success. Alter otter speeches the resolution "Wild carried, with one dissentient.