§ Mr. Leachasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will forbid the adulteration of white flour with calcium salt and a synthetic vitamin until the House of Commons has had an opportunity of discussing the matter, especially as a large number of doctors are entirely opposed to the proposal?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe decision to introduce a calcium salt and synthetic vitamin B1 into flour was reached by the Government after receiving a recommendation from the Scientific Food Committee, of which Sir William Bragg, President of the Royal Society, is chairman. My Noble Friend cannot admit the implication in the first part of my hon. Friend's Question, and he is unable to give the undertaking asked for.
§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the confusion in the public mind resulting from the lack of any definite standard of flour warranting the description "wholemeal," he will take measures to prevent the sale of inferior products wrongly using that designation, and will prescribe a formula to which flour so described shall conform?
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Major Lloyd GeorgeQuestions concerning the standardisation of high extraction flour are being considered by my Noble Friend's Department in connection with the policy of the Government announcement in the House on the 18th July with regard to the quality of flour.
§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether, in view of recent experimental research at the Lister Institute demonstrating the nutritive superiority of wholemeal flour tested against white flour reinforced with synthetic vitamin B1, he will reconsider the Government's decision as to the provision of a war loaf?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMy Noble Friend is aware that a high extraction flour has some points of superiority from the nutritional point of view over white flour reinforced with synthetic vitamin B1. The reasons for the Government's decision to reinforce white flour while securing that wholemeal flour is also available to the public were explained to this House on 18th July last, and the Government sees no reason to reconsider the decision then announced.