Technic Scientists Study Secrets of Bread; Aided by Ford Foundation

Millions of dollars may be saved out of Israel’s annual budget for food imports if research now being carried on at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, fulfills expectations, it was reported here today. The research, for which grants were received from the Fohs and the Ford Foundations, was begun at the suggestion of a United Nations expert in the field of food technology, Prof. Max Milner, after a visit to Israel under the auspices of the world Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Technion scientists hope to complete their research within a year. The research is directed by Prof. Markus Reiner, internationally known co-founder of the branch of physics known as rheology, which is concerned with the deformation and flow of matter. The Technion professor and his staff are currently studying the physical properties of wheat proteins, to determine why dough made with wheat flour rises when mixed with yeast, and why locally grown corn, rye, barley or maize do not rise in the same manner. Made into dough, the latter grains produce flat cakes, such as the “pitta” baked by the Arabs.

The Technion Foundation’s spokesman pointed out that half the total proteins in the Israel diet are derived from wheat and wheat products, and, since less than 10 percent of the country’s wheat requirements is grown locally, more than 300,000 tons need to be imported annually at a cost of $25,000,000. Moreover, even the small quantity of wheat grown in Israel does not possess the physical properties for good bread production. The research program includes studies of the elasticity and viscosity of the different types of dough. Should results of the research prove successful, it will mean that good bread may be produced from local grain, and imports of foreign wheat may be considerably reduced.