There must, of course, be a reason for this preference, and it quickly becomes apparent on a little study of the subject. Careful examination of a grain of wheat by cutting it into thin slices will reveal the fact that it consists of the following parts: (1) the germ from which the future plant will grow accounts for 1 1/2 per cent, of the whole grain; (2) the kernel or endosperm intended as food for the germ and consisting of 85 per cent. of the grain; (3) the bran or protective covering composed of hard woody fibre impregnated with mineral salts constitutes the other 13 1/2 per cent. of the grain. Each of these parts contain protein in varying quantities, the greatest amount in proportion to its size being in the germ, and the smallest amount in the innermost layer of the bran. The endosperm contains of course most of all, in the form of gluten - the sticky substance which makes the manufacture of bread possible - the small particles of which he in a mass of starch grains. The only fat found in wheat resides in the germ, but it is almost negligible in quantity.

Although it is quite possible to utilise wheat in its entire state as a food by soaking it for a long time in water, then boiling it in milk and adding a little sugar, thus making frumenty, it is usual to grind or mill it into the state of flour. By the stone-grinding process the bran was discarded and the germ and endosperm ground together. The modern roller-mill, however, not only rejects the bran but also the germ, because of the fact that its oil is apt to become rancid, and its proteins slightly digest the starch, converting it into a soluble form called dextrin and also in a lesser degree into maltose or malt sugar. This of course darkens the colour and hence militates against the popularity of the bread made from it. For this reason, only 70 per cent. of the grain is utilised in the production of ordinary flour, and there are many grades of flour on the market, some wheats containing more gluten than others. The composition of flour indeed is a very variable matter, and as a certain proportion of gluten is necessary to make a good loaf, recourse has been had to blending different varieties of flour, and even adopting special processes to ensure a wholesome nutritious bread.

It can easily be seen that in the effort to secure a presentable white bread, much of the valuable part of the wheat must be sacrificed, especially the germ containing much protein and fat, and the bran containing protein and mineral salts, indispensable to the growth and building up of the body. "Hovis" flour is a special preparation designed to save the germ, which, after separation, is first cooked by superheated steam, thus rendering the proteins ineffective as agents for digesting the starch, and sterilising the fat, which does not thereafter tend to become rancid. It is subsequently ground and added to ordinary flour in the proportion of one part to three, thus constituting a most nutritious product.

Other processes endeavour to save the protein and mineral matter of the bran whilst discarding the indigestible cellulose, and others again, whilst using no selective method of preparation, utilise 80 per cent, of the ingredients of the whole-wheat berry. It is this last class from which the article called "Standard" bread is manufactured, the title indicating that it is always of the same composition, and that the best for purposes of repairing the body waste in the adult and building up the growing frame in the young.

Now in estimating the value of this commodity we must not overlook the fact that a "standard" flour is quite an anomaly, because it is not only impossible to lay down a standard composition for wheat, but it is even impossible to be sure that the various classes of flour made from one single sample of wheat contain a uniform quantity of mineral salts. A report issued by the Local Government Board on "The Nutritive Value of Flour and Bread" emphasises this statement, and asserts that there are commonly wider differences in protein content and energy value between the patent flours obtained from different wheats than between the "patent" flours of a given wheat and the corresponding wholemeal, so that a patent flour obtained from one variety of wheat may contain considerably more of protein and furnish more available energy than an entire wheat and wholemeal flour from another kind of wheat.

Standard bread can therefore never be uniform in composition, and may indeed be very inferior to white bread.

The average composition of wholemeal and white bread, according to Hutchison, is as follows:

Composition Of Wholemeal And White Bread Compared

Atwater Shows The Following Analysis:

These Analyses Compare Very Unfavourably With The Composition Of Flour Made From The Wholemeal:

But it must be understood that a large proportion of water is added in the formation of bread, and - what is of vital importance - a great deal of the nutritious value is lost in the baking or cooking. Thus nearly all (71.2 per cent.) of the fats, 1.3 per cent. of the proteins, and 3.2 per cent, of the carbohydrates disappear in the process of baking.

It has been said that statistics can be made to prove anything, and it is certain that one must not place too great faith on an array of figures which represent the chemical composition of a dietetic substance. Chemical composition indeed is of very little real guidance in estimating the actual value to the body of any food apart from the vitally important items of digestion and absorbability. Now it would be quite impossible to trace a piece of bread through all its intricate wanderings in the body, including its incorporation into the actual substance of the body cells and its final rejection in simpler products by the skin, lungs, kidneys, and bowels, but it is easy to form a true conception of its value as a nutritious agency.