Our ancestors were probably very happy that those bakers selling loaves of “shortweight” bread were prosecuted. Imagine spending your well-earned money on food for your family and realising that you were short-changed. It could mean the difference between everyone in your family being fed – or someone having to go without.

BTW, the reason why “moisture content in crumb” was important had to do with ingredients. Unscrupulous bakers would substitute cheaper ingredients (i.e., plaster) as filler to replace expensive ground wheat (white flour). By checking moisture content, the VPD could ensure that bakers were honestly selling wholesome bread.

Thank you for the look back into Vancouver’s history!