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To appreciate the difference between white
and Standard flour and why the former is so
inferior to the latter as a bone and tissue forming
food, it is quite important to understand something
of the structure of the berry and wherein
this difference consists. The berry has first an
outer husk or bran which has no food value and is
indigestible; the bulk of the central body, or
endosperm, as it is called, is chiefly starch, and
contained in it is the germ and semolina; besides
this there is the inner bran which also contains
valuable elements. These elements are the proteids
and mineral matters, that is, the iron and phosphorus
which are absolutely essential for the
proper growth and formation of bone and muscle
tissue in the growing child. The whole of the
berry excepting this outer husk is contained in
Standard flour, the germ and the semolina are the
most nourishing parts of the whole berry, and the
colour of Standard bread is due to these being
retained. Only the endosperm, which is chiefly
starch, is used in making white flour, the germ and
inner bran being removed in order to secure dead
whiteness. When the outer husk is stripped off
the remainder constitutes 80 per cent. of the berry,
that is why it is called "Standard." Starch in the
various formations in which it is to be found—
bread, potato, rice, sago, etc., is a valuable and
useful food product, but it does not contain the
elements necessary for the proper development of
bone and muscle, and the digestion of over much
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