,BROWN, COMPOSITION, or WHOLE FLoun B. is made from the ground but undressed wheat, and therefore contains the bran as well as the flour. Some years ago it was suggested. that as the bran contained more nitrogenized matter than the flour, the whole meal must be more nutritious than the finer flour alone. But that opinion is now considerably modified; for while it is true that the whole meal (bran and fine flour) contains chemically more nutritive matter than the fine flour alone, yet the gritty parti cles that are present in the former, cause an unnatural irritation in the alimentary canal, and lead to a quicker evacuation of the but partially digested and absorbed food. This explains why brown B. possesses laxative properties, and why laborers fed on it consider that it makes them hungry soon again; they feel that it does not last in the stomach, and consequently think it has little nourishment in it.
The adulterations of B. are various. Very commonly boiled potatoes are added to the flour and water in the making of the dough, and some consider that this yields a lighter and more palatable bread. It must remembered, however, that the addition of any substance of a nature foreign to the composition of any material is an adulteration (see next article); and that though potatoes may be supposed to improve the B., yet good B. -can be made without them, and the addition of the potatoes lessens the nutritive value of the wheat-flour. Alum is occasionally added to the dough, to increase the whiteness and improve the general texture of the B. ; and this it appears to do by arresting the passage of the starch into gum and sugar, which tends to take place during the process of baking. In Belgium, sulphate of copper is often used for a similar purpose, but it is not employed in this country. All such admixtures are destructive of the nutritive value of a certain part of the B., and are injurious to the animal system. For the nutritive qualities of B. see NUTRITION and FOOD, and for biscuit-bread, see BISCUIT.
The law on the subject of bread, so far as relates to England and Scotland, is regu lated by a local act for London, the 3 Geo. IV. c. 106, the provisions of which are imitated by a general act for the country, the 6 and 7 Will. IV. c. 37. These provisions are as follow: B. may be made of flour or meal of wheat, barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, Indian corn, pease, beans, rice, or potatoes, or any of them, or with any common salt, pure water, eggs, milk, barm, leaven, potato or other yeast, and mixed in such propor tions as bakers may think fit, and with no other ingredient or matter whatsoever; and with the exception of French or fancy B. and rolls, the B. so made must be sold by weight, and in no other manner. It has been settled by many recent cases that bakers must weigh the bread before selling it, whether asked by the customer or not to do so. For this purpose, they must provide in their shops, on or near the counter, a beam and scales, with proper weights, or other sufficient balance, in order that the same may be weighed in the presence of purchasers—a regulation that also applies to delivery of B. by cart or other conveyance; it being directed that the scales and weights shall be constantly carried in the cart or other conveyance, under a penalty, in either ease, not exceeding £5. From this regulation, however, fancy B., or French B., or rolls, are also excepted. The act further provides that B. made of mixed meal or flour—that is, B.
made wholly or partially of pease, or beans, or potatoes, or of any sort of corn or grain -other than wheat—shall be marked with the large Roman letter "M," under a penalty, in case this rule be neglected, of a sum not exceeding 108. for every pound-wcight of such mixed B. sold, and so on in proportion for any less quantity. From this regula tion, however, is excepted B. made of the meal or flour of wheat, in the making of which potato-yeast shall be used.
The following are the enactments against the adulteration of B.: 1. No baker shall, in the making of B. for sale, use any mixture or ingredient whatsoever other than those above mentioned, under a penalty for every offense not exceeding £10, nor less than £5, with the alternative of imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for any time not exceeding six calendar months; and the offender's name, place of abode, and offense may be published in the local newspapers. 2. Any person adulterating corn-meal or flour, by the introduction of any ingredient not being the real produce of the corn or grain ; or any person selling meal or flour of one sort of corn or grain as the meal or flour of another sort, whether separate or mixed, shall forfeit and pay, according to the discre tion of the magistrate or justice, a sum not exceeding £20, nor less than £5. 3. Magis trates or justices of the peace, and also peace-officers authorized by warrant, may, at seasonable times in the daytime, enter a baker's premises, and search for adulterated flour or B.; and if any be found, the same may be seized, and carried with aficonvenient speed to the nearest resident magistrate or justice of the peace,to be disposed of as he may think proper, the penalties varying from to k.10, with alternative imprisonment for six months; the offenders' names may also be published. Parties obstructing such search of bakers' premises, or upon the occasion of the search, carrying away the adulterated flour or B., are liable to a penalty not exceeding £10. Should it, however, appear that any offense against the act shall have been occasioned by the willful act or the neglect of the baker's journeyman or other servant, the magistrate may issue his warrant for bringing such servant before him, and, on conviction, may adjudge him to pay a reasonable sum to his master, by way of recompense. The adulteration of food act gives a more efficient mode of prosecuting these offenses, and exposing them, when detected.
The act further provides that bakers shall not bake bread, rolls, or cakes, on the Lord's day; or, on any part of that day, after half-past one o'clock in the afternoon, sell such bread, rolls, or cakes; or bake meat, pies, or other victuals; or iu any other manner exercise the trade of a baker, save and except so far as may be necessary by way of preparation for the following day's For a first offense against this regulation, a penalty of 10s. shall be paid; for a second'offense, 20s.; and for a third and every subse quent offense, respectively, the penalty of 40s., together with the costs of prosecution, a portion of the penalty to be paid to the prosecutor, and the residue to be applied towards the poor-rate of the place. This regulation as to Sundays does not extend to Scot land.
The law of Ireland on the subject of this article is contained in several acts of the Irish parliament, the leading provisions of which are similar to the above.