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We close the week with an uplifting tale from the United Kingdom. Amid shortages of essential supplies during the coronavirus era, a picturesque water mill of the medieval period has been pressed back into service -- to provide bakers and grocers in the county of Dorset with fresh flour. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

Agro-industry generates large amount of waste with diverse characteristics. The accumulation of agricultural waste is in the excess of 2 billion tons worldwide. This makes it imperative to investigate how agro-industrial waste utilization can be advanced to the next phase to maximise benefits from the sector. Improper management of these wastes leaves undesirable footprints in environment as well as on the economic health of many nations. In this direction, development of proper clean and green waste management approaches is the need of the hour, firstly, efficient conversion of wastes to value added products, by-products within affordable treatment costs and secondly, impact assessment on soil quality and productivity. This review fills the existing research gap on how agro-based waste can be productively harnessed. The review comprehends elaborately the industrial innovations and technology for recovery of agro-industrial wastes, which has triggered high resource efficiency, sustainable production and safe disposal.

Background Flour dust, with an inherent allergic nature, increases vulnerability to various respiratory ailments. We systemically reviewed and compared literature-reported pulmonary function parameters to quantify pulmonary dysfunction among individuals with high flour dust exposure (among flour mill workers) and relatively un-exposed groups. Methods Studies that compared pulmonary function parameters for flour dust exposed and unexposed control groups were systemically searched in PubMed, Scopus and Embase from inception to June 2024. The Newcastle Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias among included studies. With the random effect model, we pooled (along with 95% CI) the mean difference for forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), the ratio of FEV 1 & FVC, mid-expiratory flow (FEF25-75%), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and other pulmonary function parameters. Cochran-Q test and I 2 statistics were applied to determine heterogeneity. Results This quantitative synthesis included twenty-two studies involving 2,482 flour dust exposed and 1,925 control participants. The pooled mean difference for FEV 1 , FVC, FEV 1 /FVC, PEFR and FEF 25 − 75% were − 0.43 L (-0.57, -0.29; I 2  = 88.7), -0.49 L (-0.64, -0.33; I 2  = 89.3), -3.5% (-6.49, -0.5; I 2  = 89.7), -1.36 L/s (-1.70, -1.03; I 2  = 90.4) and − 0.34 L/s (-0.63, -0.06; I 2  = 77.3). The pooled odds ratio for obstructive [12.9 (3.41, 49.2); I 2  = 82.4)] and restrictive changes [5.11 (0.55, 47.4); I 2  = 81.6] were significantly higher among the exposed than controls. As per the bias assessment majority of studies rated with moderate to severe risk of bias. Conclusion Study observed pulmonary function deficits associated with exposure to flour dust. However, considering the quality of primary studies and higher heterogeneity, high-quality larger studies with longitudinal design are required to affirm the effects of flour dust on lung function.

Drawing on a wide range of sources in both English and Maori, this study explores the entrepreneurial activity of New Zealand's indigenous Maori in the early colonial period. Focusing on the two industries—coastal shipping and flourmilling—where Maori were spectacularly successful in the 1840s and 1850s, this title examines how such a society was able to develop capital-intensive investments and harness tribal ownership quickly and effectively to render commercial advantages. A discussion of the sudden decline in the \"golden age\" of Maori enterprise—from changing market conditions, to land alienation—is also included.

Two wheat varieties ‘C 306’ and ‘WH 542’ were milled to obtain flour fractions of different particle sizes. Various physicochemical parameters such as wet and dry gluten, falling number, solvent retention capacity (SRC), alkaline water retention capacity (AWRC) and damaged starch content of the flour fractions were analyzed. The damaged starch values ranged from 5.14% to 14.79% for different flour fractions and increased significantly with decrease in particle size. AWRC and SRC of the flour fractions also increased with decrease in particle size. AWRC( r  = 0.659) showed positive correlation and cookie spread ratio ( r  = −0.826) was strongly negatively correlated with the damaged starch levels. Hardness of the cookies in term of compression force showed increasing trend as damaged starch of the flour fractions increased. Spread ratio of the cookies ranged from 6.72 to 10.12. Wheat flour of particle size greater than 150 μm produced cookies with best quality.

Al Naameh Flour Mill characterizes an exceptional instance in the manufacturing movement in Nablus.Its establishment is linked to the modernity project that the city witnessed between WWI and WWII. The mill journey from its inception to its annihilation reflects the transformations in the power relations that Palestine went through during the last 100 years. This paper aims at contextualizing the flour mill for the reader and situate its specific typology in temporal and spatial context and investigating the attitudes of the different stakeholders towards the conservation of modern heritage.

Background Occupational related respiratory diseases arise as a result of the deposition of dust particles in the lungs. Flour milling industries; generate organic dust during industrial processes, such as cleaning, milling, packaging, and loading which release dust into the air and later inhaled by workers. Flour mill workers are at risk of developing respiratory health problems because of exposure in their working environment, but existing data were few. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms, lung function and associated factors among flour mill factory workers. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 flour mill factory workers and 210 soft drinks factory workers. We selected study participants using a systematic sampling technique. We assessed the chronic respiratory symptoms using the questionnaire adopted from the British Medical Research Council. Binary logistic regression analysis with 95% CI and p < 0.05 was used to identify the factors. Lung function parameters; Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) and ratio FEV1/FVC was measured by using spirometer and analyzed by using an independent t-test. Results We included 406 (96.7%) workers in this study. The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was higher among flour mill workers as compared to soft-drinks factory workers (56.6% vs.12.9%). Primary education (AOR = 5.8, 95% CI, 1.3–23.2), mixing department (AOR = 5.3, 95% CI = 1.68–16.56), work experience 6–9 years (AOR = 5.1, 95% CI = 2.05–12.48), work experience ≥10 years (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.01–6.11) and working over eight hours (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI, 1.16–5.10) were factors that significantly associated with chronic respiratory symptoms among flour mill workers. FVC (p < 0.002), FEV1 (p < 0.001) and FEV1/FVC (p < 0.012) were significantly reduced among flour mill workers. Conclusions We found chronic respiratory symptoms to be high among flour mill workers. Lower education level, mixing department, increased work experience, and longer working hours were identified factors. The flour mill dust exposed worker’s lung function parameters were highly reduced. This study suggested that workers’ dust exposure reduction and control methods in flour mill factories need to be implemented.

Occupational asthma (OA) is a type of Work-Related Asthma characterised by variable airflow limitation and/or inflammation due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment, and not to stimuli encountered outside the workplace. There is an increasing need to extend the depth of knowledge of OA to better manage this condition, especially among food industry workers who are affected by it. This systematic review aimed to determine the factors associated with occupational asthma among food industry workers by electronically collecting articles from two databases (Medline and Scopus). This systematic review was prepared in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses) updated guideline. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of the collected data, which were then stored in Endnote20 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included articles have been critically appraised to assess the quality of the studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The search yielded 82 articles from Medline and 85 from SCOPUS, resulting in 167 unique hits. Only 22 articles have been included in the full-text assessment following a rigorous selection screening. Of the 22 articles identified, five were included in the final review. Several factors were found to have contributed to occupational asthma among food industry workers. They were classified into two categories: (1) work environment-related factors; and (2) individual factors. Several work environment and individual-related factors were found to be associated with OA among food industry workers. A better understanding of the development of the disease and its potential risk factors is needed because it can affect worker's quality of life. Pre-employment and periodic medical surveillance should be conducted to assess and detect any possible risk of developing occupational asthma among workers.

This study evaluated the refinement of sorghum, corn, and cowpea grains using the processing steps and equipment originally designed for wheat milling that consists of a conventional gradual reduction system. The need to mill these grains resulted from a desire to produce alternative ingredients for developing new fortified blended extruded foods used for food aid programming. Milling of white sorghum grain resulted in a crude protein content of 7.4% (wb) for both whole and coarse-milled flour. The crude protein content in whole fine-milled sorghum was 6.8% (wb), which was significantly lower than that of whole coarse flour at 9.3% (wb). A decrease in the ash content of sorghum flour correlates with the decortication process. However, degermed corn, fine and coarse, had significantly different crude protein content of 6.0 ± 0.2% (wb) and 7.7 ± 0.06% (wb), respectively. Degerming of corn improved the quality of corn flour (fine and coarse) by reducing the crude fat content from 3.3 ± 0.18% (wb) to 1.2 ± 0.02% (wb) and 0.6 ± 0.13% (wb), respectively. This helped increase the starch content from 60.1 ± 0.28% (wb) in raw corn to 74.7 ± 0.93% (wb) and 71.8 ± 0.00% (wb) in degermed fine and coarse corn flour, respectively. Cowpea milling did not produce differences in the milling stream outputs when the crude fat and crude protein were compared. Whole flour from the grains had higher milling yields than decorticated flour. This study demonstrated that a mill dedicated to wheat size reduction can be adapted to refine other grains to high quality.

In a settler colony such as Western Canada, colonizers came to stay and to claim and re-fashion the land permanently as theirs, displacing Indigenous Peoples, and limiting their former access to their land and resources.3 An important component of establishing settler ascendancy was the undermining of Indigenous Peoples' food systems and converting them to a settler diet.4 Flour was at the heart of this settler diet and the wheat the core of the new economy of the West. Flour was provided to and withheld from First Nations following the Numbered Treaties of the 1870s as rationing was a central tool of control used by Canadian authorities to clear the plains, and enforce government objectives.5 Robin Hood flour played a role in the creation of a new food regime on the prairies; through its massive advertising campaigns, Robin Hood emphasized the superiority, cleanliness and purity of settler, particularly British, foods. Rejected by what was then known as the Ceylon Civil Service (allegedly because of flat feet according to family lore), George left England for Canada in 1909, age 31, after about 18 years working at a flour mill in Kent from age 13 when he left school. Removed from their land and traditional sources of food and settled on reserves following the 1874 Treaty, many farmed with some success, but were stymied through diverse factors, including a deliberate government policy aimed at keeping their agriculture at a subsistence level so they did not compete with settler farmers.15 They were to grow roots mainly and small plots of wheat, and were to