§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Canadian Government adds synthetic vitamin to the flour supplied to the British Government; whether this addition is made at the request of the British Government; what is the source of the Vitamin B thus added and the expense of the addition; and what measures have been taken to ensure that the quantity thus added in Canada shall be in accordance with the specification on which the Ministry is acting in the provision of the Government reinforced loaf?
Major Lloyd GeorgeAs to the first and second parts of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the first part of the reply I gave on 27th January to another Question by him. The fortification of Canadian flour with Vitamin B.1. before export to the United Kingdom is not carried out by the Canadian Government but by the individual millers concerned. These millers purchase their supplies of the vitamin from Canadian manufacturers and the extra cost of the flour clue to reinforcement is approximately 10d. per sack of 280 lbs. As regards the last part of the Question consignments of Canadian flour are sampled on arrival in the United Kingdom and the Vitamin B.1 content of658W the sample is determined by the same kind of test that is applied to home-milled flour.