Dear Editor,
There has been much dialogue on the topic of breadfruit flour in recent times, and I thought it necessary to enlighten those interested in the topic on the beginnings of this project.
In 1970, work was done at the food technology division of the ministry of trade and industry on a series of recipes for the use of the product, (which was useful to persons with sprue, an allergy to gluten in wheat flour) including cake, biscuits and bread. We had found that the ideal ratio of breadfruit flour to wheat flour was 30-70.
This loaf had the breadfruit taste, was a pale yellow colour, with a lovely crust. Three supermarkets agreed to carry the item, and we had available recipes for the various products.
Stanford Research Institute of California was given the contract by the US Government to assist us in marketing this product. They wanted 5,000 pounds of the flour to start the work. Stanford Research Institute was also interested in banana flour and instant Passion Fruit powder.
There was great appreciation for the work and two large firms wanted to market the items for us; all they wanted to know was how much material we could supply and how soon.
The then minister of agriculture was sceptical about their intentions and subsequently the contracts were cancelled by the ministry. In 1960 I wrote a report for the ministry of trade and industry on fish farming, pointing out that we should copy the Middle Eastern countries which were planting rice and fish together. This resulted in better output for the rice and with added returns from selling the fish. In addition there was the practice of using tide waters to harvest fish and shrimp from the small rivulets which empty to the sea.
Sluice gates would be opened at high tide, fish and shrimp would enter the river, the gates would be closed and the creatures allowed to remain for three months, allowing for further growth. After this the gates would be reopened at low tide, allowing the fish and shrimp to be harvested on their way out. From the foregoing it can be seen that we as a country have let our chances for food security go a-begging.
Ancile Gloudon
Ancile.gloudon@gmail.com
We missed a great opportunity
-->
There has been much dialogue on the topic of breadfruit flour in recent times, and I thought it necessary to enlighten those interested in the topic on the beginnings of this project.
In 1970, work was done at the food technology division of the ministry of trade and industry on a series of recipes for the use of the product, (which was useful to persons with sprue, an allergy to gluten in wheat flour) including cake, biscuits and bread. We had found that the ideal ratio of breadfruit flour to wheat flour was 30-70.
This loaf had the breadfruit taste, was a pale yellow colour, with a lovely crust. Three supermarkets agreed to carry the item, and we had available recipes for the various products.
Stanford Research Institute of California was given the contract by the US Government to assist us in marketing this product. They wanted 5,000 pounds of the flour to start the work. Stanford Research Institute was also interested in banana flour and instant Passion Fruit powder.
There was great appreciation for the work and two large firms wanted to market the items for us; all they wanted to know was how much material we could supply and how soon.
The then minister of agriculture was sceptical about their intentions and subsequently the contracts were cancelled by the ministry. In 1960 I wrote a report for the ministry of trade and industry on fish farming, pointing out that we should copy the Middle Eastern countries which were planting rice and fish together. This resulted in better output for the rice and with added returns from selling the fish. In addition there was the practice of using tide waters to harvest fish and shrimp from the small rivulets which empty to the sea.
Sluice gates would be opened at high tide, fish and shrimp would enter the river, the gates would be closed and the creatures allowed to remain for three months, allowing for further growth. After this the gates would be reopened at low tide, allowing the fish and shrimp to be harvested on their way out. From the foregoing it can be seen that we as a country have let our chances for food security go a-begging.
Ancile Gloudon
Ancile.gloudon@gmail.com
We missed a great opportunity
-->