80 



both physical and chemical changes. Water is removed in drying the 

 macaroni and the starch and gluten apparently undergo a slight hydra- 

 tion. When macaroni is cooked in water about 2.25 per cent of the 

 soluble matters present are extracted, which suggests that as little 

 water as possible should be used in cooking the macaroni when strict 

 economy is desirable. 



As shown by experiments with healthy men, macaroni has approxi- 

 mately the same digestibility and supplies about the same amount of 

 nutrients, pound for pound on a dry -matter basis, as bread made from 

 straight-grade flour. Consuming either large or small amounts of 

 bread made from durum wheat flour with the ma-caroni exercised no 

 appreciable effect upon the digestibility of the nutrients and the availa- 

 bility of the energy present. 



Macaroni is a highlj' digestible and nutritious article of diet, cor- 

 responding in these respects quite closely to bread, though at ordinary 

 prices it furnishes nutrients at a somewhat greater cost than bread; 

 nevertheless, it may be fairly considered an economical article of diet. 

 Macaroni may be readih" combined with other food materials and thus 

 may be used to give variety to the diet. 



The durum wheat breakfast food resembled quite closely in compo- 

 sition the macaroni made from similar wheat. It was not quite as 

 thoroughly digested, though its digestibility was fairly high as com- 

 pared with man}" vegetable foods. The observed differences in digest- 

 ibility of the breakfast food and the flour products are undoubtedly 

 due to methods of manufacture, the flour products being rather tinely 

 ground and therefore in a condition favorable for the action of the 

 digestive juices. 



Taken as a whole the tests show" that these American-made macaronies 

 were directly comparable with standard-made goods of European 

 manufacture. 



The general summar}" of results and conclusions on the digestibility 

 and nutritive value of bread is given on pages .53 and Si of this 

 bulletin. 



o 



