PETALING JAYA, April 26 — What is the difference between wholemeal, wheatgerm and multigrain bread?

With Goods and Service Tax (GST) in place, not knowing the difference could affect your wallet.

Consumers are asking why only white and wholemeal bread are on the list of zero-rated GST goods.

One consumer questioned the rationale of distinguishing wholemeal and wheatgerm bread, both of different brands.

“Wheatgerm bread used to cost RM2.20, but last week I was charged RM2.40.

“The shopkeeper said they received a directive to charge GST. 

“The wholemeal bread (of a different brand) costs RM2.99 at the store and is GST-exempt,” he said.

Another customer wondered why the “cheaper types of bread’’ were now subjected to GST.

“The various multigrain or wheat bran breads of a certain brand are generally cheaper than wholemeal bread. 

“So why tax customers more on the cheaper breads?’’ he said.

Customs Department GST director Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy said last week that only white and wholemeal bread were exempted from GST.

“All other types of bread are subjected to GST,” he said.

“We just give (exemption) for basic foodstuff, for the sake of the low-income group.

“The GST is about broadening our tax base.

“So while the government has taken into consideration the needs of the masses, we cannot zero-rate everything,” he said.

Subromaniam said wholemeal and wheatgerm bread were not the same thing. 

According to the Nutrition Society of Malaysia’s factsheet on wholegrains, a wholegrain product contains all three components of the grain: the bran, which is outer layer of the grain; the endosperm, which makes up most of the grain; and the germ.   

Wholemeal also means all the three grain components are used, but milled for a finer texture.

The bran contains dietary fibre, B vitamins, iron, zinc and other minerals, while the germ contains B vitamins, vitamin E and healthy fats.

The endosperm mostly consists of carbohydrates, along with small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

When grains are refined, the bran and the germ are removed during the milling process, leaving behind only the mostly starchy endosperm. 

The factsheet also says that products with “descriptive words”, such as “multigrain” or “enriched”, or saying they contain wheat germ or wheat bran, do not necessarily mean that the product is wholegrain. 

For instance, wheatgerm bread may be made with white, brown or wholemeal flour, with wheatgerm added on later.