1919] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 657 



" It has been observed that a considerable laving in meat Is effected If those 

 responsible for the cooking, whether f<>r private establishment* or for trade 



purposes, insist upon the joints being rather under than overcooked. The most 

 popular joints would then show a wastage In cooking of only the average of 

 about 35 per cent, but overcooked meat, which is sometimes half burnt up, 

 shows a very much greater wastage." 



Mussels and their preparation, 1'. RuiTJUUflEBO and L. von Noel (Ztschr. 

 UnternuJh. Nahr. u. Gcnussmtl., 36 (1'JlH), No. 1-2, pp. 1-15). — This article in- 

 cludes a description of the mussel (Mi/tiius cdulin), Its cultivation, and Its use 

 as food. 



Uidike the oyster, this shellfish is seldom eaten uncooked. Data showing 

 the effect of heat on the mussel and the soluble material extracted during 

 boiling are given. The mussel flesh can be preserved by smoking, salting, 

 drying, and powdering, and it can he made into a paste and also a variety 

 of sausage. The authors state that because of its palatahility, Its high content 

 of albumin, and its cheapness it is used in the preparation of an extract similar 

 to meat extracts. They refer to the fact that the mussels, like oysters, 

 when grown and marketed under insanitary conditions become unsuitable for 

 food. Some regulations pertaining to the cultivation and marketing of mus- 

 sels are briefly noted. 



Report by the Food (War) Committee of the Royal Society on the di- 

 gestibility of breads (London: Food (War) Committee, Roy. Soc, 1918, pp. 36, 

 pi. 1). — This report includes a comparison of the digestibility of breads made 

 from wheat flour at 80 and 90 per cent extraction ; a study of the digestibility 

 of bread made from flour of which four-fifths was wheat at 80 per cent ex- 

 traction and one-fifth was maize ; and studies of the dietetic effect and of the 

 palatahility of bread made from wheat flour of 90 per cent extraction, either 

 alone or diluted with cereals other than wheat, upon groups of people of 

 varying ages and occupations. 



The results obtained in feeding experiments on individuals led to the fol- 

 lowing conclusions : Breads made from 90 per cent flour are not so completely 

 utilized as those made from 80 per cent flour, since when used as part of an 

 ordinary mixed diet the coefficient of digestibility of the entire diet was 94.5 

 per cent in comparison with 96.4 per cent when breads made of the so per cent 

 extraction were used. The coefficient of digestibility for the nitrogenous con- 

 stituents of the diet in the case of the former is 87.3 per cent and the latter 

 89.4 per cent. 



The observations indicate that bread made of flour of 90 per cent extraction 

 has no ill effects upon health and will mean a gain in food value for every 100 

 lbs. of wheat of 13,000 total calories and 1.56 lbs. of protein. 



" Bread made from flour containing 80 per cent wheaten flour and 20 per 

 cent coarsely dressed maize flour proved to be as digestible as bread made from 

 the same wheaten flour without admixture. Bread containing 'JO per cent 

 maize was well digested by children even when eaten in proportionately large 

 quantities." 



It was found that bread made from flour containing SO per cent of wheat 

 flour of 90 per cent extraction with an admixture of 2o per cent other cereals, 

 namely, 10 per cent barley and the remainder maize and rice, or rice alone, 

 was palatable and caused no digestive trouble. 



Details pertaining to these observations are given in the following appen- 

 dixes: The Milling and Baking Processes; Nature of the Wheat and Maize 

 Flours Employed ; and Flour Used and Method of Baking, by A. E. Humphries. 



