§ 50. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Food what investigations have been made, following the recommendations 485 contained in paragraph 65 of the Report of the Conference on the Post-War Loaf; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister of Food (Major Lloyd George)As the reply is rather long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. Thornton-KemsleyWill my right hon. Friend at the same time publish the results of the investigation carried out in Germany by the Medical Research Council upon which he must have based the conclusions at which his Ministry have arrived?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI will look at that matter.
§ Following is the information:
§ The following are the details of the investigations made on the points raised in paragraph 65 of the Report of the Conference on the Post-War Loaf (Cmd. 6701).
- 1. The nutritional value of the "reinforced" flour which is available in the United States is not strictly comparable with that of the "restored" flour which will be available in this country. There is, however, no evidence that the "token "nutrients added in the processes of either "reinforcement" or "restoration" differ from those naturally present in the wheat grain.
- 2. Investigations have shown that no means arc available to determine with certainty whether the "token" nutrients in flour are of natural origin or have been added.
- 3. The policy of the Government is to allow complete freedom to the milling industry to produce flours of any level of extraction for any purpose, subject to the restoration of the "token" nutrients to all flours below 80 per cent. extraction. This question does not therefore arise.
- 4. Flour of 80 per cent. extraction (which will be used among other purposes for the National loaf) will automatically contain the required levels of token nutrients and in these circumstances producers of National flour will need no safeguard beyond that which they can themselves provide by milling to 80 per cent. extraction. Flour milled at lower rates of extraction will have to be fortified by the addition of the quantities of token nutrients required to restore the level to the minima recommended by the Conference on the Post-War Loaf.
- 5. A review has been made of wheat varieties from the point of view of their "token" nutrient content as well as their milling and baking qualities, but no useful action appears to be practicable.
- 6. The question in this sub-paragraph does not arise as there will be no restriction on the rate of extraction of flour imported into the United Kingdom.