In the 19th century, bakers occasionally added sawdust to bread as a way to increase profits and stretch their flour supplies. This practice was unethical and unsafe, as sawdust is not fit for human consumption and could pose health risks. The addition of sawdust was a deceptive method to increase the volume of the bread while using less expensive ingredients.
Sawdust, being a cheap and abundant material, could be mixed with flour to extend the bread dough, allowing bakers to produce more loaves without incurring the full cost of using pure flour. However, this adulteration had severe consequences for public health, as sawdust is not digestible and could cause digestive issues or even be contaminated with harmful substances.
Thankfully, regulations and standards for food safety and quality have significantly improved since then, and such practices are strictly prohibited today. The food industry is now subject to rigorous inspections and quality control measures to ensure that the products we consume are safe and meet proper standards.