Analytical problems in the determination and control of extraction rates of flour.

Flour and bread 43 the urinary excretions. It may also be argued that when fortified white bread is used in the diet there may be insufficient vitamin E. I n spite of the paper by Moore, Sharman & Ward (1957), there is no evidence for this belief. In baking, 50% of the vitamin E in the flour is destroyed and cereals do not contribute much vitamin E to the diet (see Frazer, Hickman, Sammons & Sharratt, 1956). We indeed know little of the daily requirements of vitamin E. If we are to take a broad and fair view after examination of all the established facts, I find it extremely difficult to believe, as I have always done, that there is any valid criticism of the procedure of pleasing the public by giving them the white flour they desire, provided that fortification as we understand it today is properly carried out. There is quite frankly no evidence that a normal diet containing bread made from enriched flour lacks any essential nutrient as opposed to a similar diet in which the bread is made from flour of longer extraction, for example 80-85y0. The evidence is that the diet will not be lacking in the rarer components of the B group of vitamins such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid or biotin. The fact remains that no evidence of malnutrition has been shown in all the many carefully conducted tests so far made.