WHEAT GERM BREAD

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1940, Page 8

WHEAT GERM BREAD

By Telegraph—Press Association.

PRODUCTION SHORTLY? ADVANTAGES OF PROCESS

Wellington, Last Night. Reception by the Press and by interested individuals has been very gratifying and much useful criticism has been received, said the Hon. D. G. McMillan, Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research, referring to a new process evolved by-the Wheat Research Institute for the manufacture of white bread containing the wheat germ. The Minister added that it was apparent from some inquiries received that there were some misconceptions in regard to the nature and the purpose of the process and steps were being taken to put it into practical operation. I "The novelty of the Wheat Research | Institute process has been questioned. There is nothing new about adding vitamins to flour or bread, but there is everything new about adding vitamins or a natural substance containing them in such a way that palatibility and the keeping qualities of bread are not affected," he added. Question of Palatability. Wholemeal flour contained the wheat germ but bread made from it was unpalatable to many people. The Morris mills process of America was quite different from the New Zealand one. It probably could not be operated with New Zealand wheats. It required special expensive machinery and was heavily protected by patents. Furthermore it gave bread containing very much less wheat germ than the New Zealand process made possible. More reeently synthetic vitamin B was being added to bread in Britain, Valuable as this was in Britain, the use of the wheat germ by the New Zealand process had many advantages. An essential distinguishing feature of the Wheat Research Institute process was in the prefermentation of the wheat germ with • yeast before the addition to flour. Not to Replace Wliolemeal. It gave a loaf of fine texture, good appearance, palatable taste and a content of 10 per cent. of wheat germ compared to 2 per cent, in wholemeal— not that it was intended to replace wholemeal which had other qualities of its own. Formulae for«>the new bread had been supplied in tulletin form to all bakers. Some mills already had supplies of wheat germ in stock while several others had made preliminary runs and could start production at a day's notice.