§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that in the absence of regulation by the Ministry the national wheatmeal loaf of 85 per cent. extraction at present supplied commonly contains an excess of the coarser bran of little nutritive value, the more valuable constituents being abstracted and sold by the millers for animal feeding; and whether he will issue an order requiring that the 15 per cent. removed by the millers in making the 85 per cent. extraction loaf shall be restricted to the coarser bran and pollards as advised by the Scientific Food Committee as the loaf would thus not only be of greater nutritive value but also nearly white in colour, and consequently more acceptable to the public taste?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMy hon. Friend is not correct when he refers to the absence of regulations. There are regulations governing the manufacture of national wheatmeal. One of these is that the coarse bran shall be excluded. If my hon. Friend knows of any case where this is ignored, I shall be pleased to investigate if he will supply details. It is possible that some confusion arises as wholemeal and other brown flours of higher extraction than 85 per cent. are still on sale to meet the tastes of those who desire the coarse bran retained in the meal.