FANCY BREAD

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1930, Page 2

FANCY BREAD

WEIGHT AND PRICE. PROBLEM OF RED (' RATION'. AVEiRRIXOn)X, June 21. Tn an endeavour to secure fur the public fair weight and guaranteed quality in the Tread supply, the Department of Health has been grapplihit tor many imuitiis with a problem which the [Minister of Health, the lion. A. J. Stallworthy, lias now resolved by the decision which he has communicated to the New Zealand Master Bakers’ Federal ion. The powers of tiro Food and Drugs Act are

to he utilised to ensure ihe proper weight and standard of the 21b and lib loaf. .Any loaf, which is over ‘2lb is to be, regarded as a Jib loal. and the minimum weight of a loal ol the usual type is to he 2lhs. This is as far as the law can go to effectively protect the interests of bread consumers. Large liu.mhers ol “fancy’’ loaves are sold, and they A’ary so considerably Hint it has been found quite impracticable from an admi nistra live point of view to impose any safeguards in the way oi regulations as to coii.lenls and minimum weight. The Health Department has done a good deal of research and conducted many analyses of fancy breads, hut the results have been inconclusive. C’onsoq lien I ly, if consumers prefer fancy breads they must lie their own judges as to lln i value they receive. The master linkers were hopeful of ! securing uniform prices of the mom

j important fancy breads, Init this is | 1 beyond the powers of regulation, and j I when the Department investigated a j number of complaints regarding deficient weight, -h> per cent, of the sus- 1 peeled samples taken Mere found to be under weight. The Minister of Health, in announcing his decision to abrogate an agreement between the linkers and the Health Department, and to fall hack mi the control of what might be termed the standard loaf of the 2lli or -IT> minimum -weight, states that if fanev bread is offered, it must he sold as such, as (he difficulty of administering; regulations defining fancy bread a,re overwhelming, the analytical problems being insuperable. “Experience lias shown.” adds the Minister, "the unwisdom of attempting regulations on issues which are not clear cut and tinqtiesl ioiied. Where bakers provide ingredients in excess I

of those usually found in ordinary bread, the .Minister has suggested to the bakers that the only logical tiling to do is to charge accordingly, leaving; it to the public to judge whether, in addition to receiving the legal quantity, they are" also getting unusual quality which merits a higher price. “Quality.” comments the Minister, "in itself is an elusive dement, as one baker with simple ingredients may achieve hatter results than another with a variety of additions.” As the Master 'Bakers’ Federation desires to discuss the position further, the Minister has agreed to receive a deputation at an early date.