Scientists are trying to create a new type of bread that is as healthy as wholemeal but looks and tastes like white bread.
Aimed at white bread lovers, the project was funded by the government to improve the health benefits of the UK’s diet.
The researchers plan to add small amounts of peas, beans and cereals to the bread mix, as well as bran and wheat germ, typically taken from white flour.
Bread makers have tried to make their white bread healthier in the past by adding bran to the flour, but their customers didn’t like the taste and texture.
The research project is still in its initial phase.
Dr Catherine Howarth, from Aberystwyth University, who is one of its leaders, said scientists have started to analyze the detailed chemical composition of existing white flour.
She said increasing its nutritional values to whole grain bread levels while maintaining the taste and feel of white bread was a delicate balancing act.
It involved adding smaller amounts of wheat germ and some of the bran removed in the milling process, she said, as well as adding other grains richer in vitamins, minerals and fiber, such as quinoa, teff, sorghum and millet. Peas and chickpeas would provide extra protein.
“We want to find out exactly which vitamins and minerals are lost during the milling process,” said Dr. Howarth.
“By using other cereals we can increase the levels of iron, zinc and vitamins and, most importantly, the fiber content, because white bread has very little fiber, which is so important for good health.”
Once Dr Howarth comes up with some possible recipes, Chris Holister, product development manager at Gloucestershire flour producer Shipton Mill, will turn them into bread.
“Most people know that whole grain bread is better for you, but many of them are put off by the taste, or because it’s not what they’re used to and they’re just not interested,” he said of the challenge.
The final step will be to test the new bread on people to see if they can differentiate it from supermarket sliced white bread.
Mr. Holister used me as a guinea pig for an early prototype made from a mixture of regular white flour and some added grains and peas.
It was crispier than the white breads you buy at the supermarket – but otherwise it looked and tasted like white bread. But there is much more work to be done.
It is expected that a product could be on supermarket shelves within about two years.
Image source, BBC/Kevin Igreja
The research team believes their approach will be successful because they are adding only the inner bran layer, which has a less strong flavor and color. They say they will need to add less because they are using other grains that are highly nutritious but have a less strong flavor.
White bread must have minerals and vitamins added by law to compensate for the benefits lost in the refining process. But Dr Amanda Lloyd, who works with Dr Howarth and Mr Holister, believes using natural ingredients would make sliced white bread even healthier.
“If the nutritional quality of bog standard bread is improved,” said Dr. Lloyd, “then people’s quality of life, their health and well-being will improve.”
Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University, independent of the research team, said the work could be an important step in improving people’s health.
“The British have had a love affair with white bread for more than a century and nutritionists wish more people were eating the whole grain,” he said. “The new investigation seems like a really interesting approach to doing that.
“Critics would say this is tricking people into improving their diet, but nutritionists would say it doesn’t matter how it’s done – it’s important to get it down people’s throats to improve their health!
“But the jury is still out on whether this new approach will work,” he added.
Image source, BBC/Kevin Igreja
The BDA says research shows that 95% of adults don’t eat enough whole grains and almost one in three of us don’t consume any.
It wasn’t always like this, according to Chris Holister.
“Before, white bread was for the upper class because it was a refined product and much more expensive than wholemeal bread. So that made everyone want white bread because it made them look better,” he said.
“Then some people changed direction when research showed it was more nutritious.”
But Chris doesn’t think the circle will come full circle because many people are used to eating sliced white bread.
“White bread is much cheaper than wholemeal bread because companies are prepared to produce it. And it’s also what most people are used to.”
