§ 8. Mrs. Wiseasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what information he has about the relative proportions of wholemeal flour and white flour used in bread-making.
§ Mr. BishopEstimates of the proportions of white and wholemeal flour used in bread-making are 92 per cent. and 2 per cent. respectively. The remaining 6 per cent, is wheatmeal or brown flour which, unlike wholemeal flour, contains less than 100 per cent. of the milled whole wheat.
§ Mrs. WiseDoes my right hon. Friend accept that these are disappointing figures? He will undoubtedly be aware that there is concern about the nutritional aspects of white flour. Is he aware that there are certain highly dangerous machines that are used in the manufacture of white bread that are not capable of dealing with wholemeal flour? Will he instigate jointly with the Departments of Prices and Consumer Protection, Employment and Health and Social Security investigations into the whole aspect of bread manufacture to cover all aspects for the benefit of both consumers and workers in an important and sweated industry?
§ Mr. BishopI certainly know what my hon. Friend has to say about the two aspects. The dietary advantages of wholemeal bread, and questions relating to the health and nutritional aspects of food composition are kept under review regularly by the Department, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Security. Flour and bread are at present being investigated by a panel set up by the committee on the medical aspects of food policy.
§ Mr. MartenIs the war-time regulation that a percentage of chalk should be included in breadmaking still in existence?
§ Mr. BishopI would not like to reply on that point, but I refer the hon. Gentleman to the second report by the Food Standards Committee on bread and flour which was published not long ago.