POOR QUALITY BREAD.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 33, 23 February 1937, Page 4

POOR QUALITY BREAD.

As tbe Minister responsible, Mr. Sullivau says, f ' einpbatically that tke quality of bread has not suffered as a xeault of the Govermnent^ control of flour and wheat in New Zealand, but that control has brought about a great improyement," In spite of the Ministers' assuranee, many will be found to disagree with him. Men, women and children, speaking out oi daily experience, assert that the eating quality of bread has deteriorated in xecent months. The loaves are often hard; they do not cut well, crusts and interior tending to part company; in self- ' defence many families have given up keeping bread until the second day and are eating it freah, taking the risk of indigestion. The cause of this deterioration lies in Mr. Sullivan's control scheme, says the New Zealand Herald. The miller and the baker are doing their best with New Zealand wheat and flour but they start with the known handicap that these are deficient in gluten. In the past this lack was made up by the importation of xelatively small quantitiea of Canadian ''hard" flour for mixing with the local article. Mr. Sulliyan stopped the use of this natural corrective and allowed bakera to add a chemical improver, calcium acid phosphate. For many years the Health Department, no doubt with sufficient reason, has prohibited the use of this improver but have been qver-ruled by Mr. SulliVan in order to help out his control scheme. • In such a case, which should be heard first, the Canterbury wheatgrowers, who urged in their own interests that the ban on improvers should be xemoved, or the appointed guardians of the public health?, Mr. Sullivan decided in favour of the wheatgrowers. Now, in spite of the' universal experience, he assures the public that his control has brought about a "great improvement" in quality. He should say so in person to a mother trying to cut lunches for the family from his improved bread.