How scientists want to transform white bread into a healthier food

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 is being funded by the UK government to increase the health benefits of the food in the country.

The researchers plan to add small amounts of peas, grains and cereals to the bread dough, in addition to bran and wheat germ, which are typically removed from white flour.

Bread makers have tried to make white bread healthier in the past by adding wheat bran to the flour, but consumers didn’t like the taste or texture.

The research project is still in the early stages of development.

Catherine Howarth, from Aberystwyth University, in the United Kingdom, is one of the project leaders. She said scientists had begun analyzing the detailed chemical composition of existing white flour.

According to her, increasing nutritional values ​​to the level of wholemeal bread and, at the same time, maintaining the flavor and sensation of white bread, is a delicate balancing act.

This involved adding smaller amounts of wheat germ, and part of the bran that is removed in the milling process, 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 what vitamins and minerals are lost during the milling process,” she explains.

“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 very important for health.”

Once Howarth comes up with some possible recipes, Chris Holister, product development manager at Gloucestershire flour maker Shipton Mill, will turn them into bread.

“Most people know that wholemeal bread is better, but many of them are put off by the taste, or because it’s not what they’re used to and simply aren’t interested,” he says of the challenge.

The final step will be to test the new bread with consumers, to see if they can differentiate it from the white sliced ​​bread sold in supermarkets.

Holister used me as a guinea pig to sample an early prototype made from a mixture of regular white flour with the addition of some grains and peas.

It was crispier than the white sliced ​​bread you buy at the supermarket — but otherwise it looked and tasted like white bread.

There is, however, much more work to be done.

The expectation is that a new product could be available on supermarket shelves within approximately two years.

The research team believes their approach will be successful because they are only adding 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 Amanda Lloyd, who is working with manufacturers Howarth and Holister, believes using natural ingredients would make white sliced ​​bread even healthier.

“If the nutritional quality of standard basic bread is improved, then people’s quality of life, health and well-being will improve,” notes Lloyd.

Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University in London, who is not part of the research team, says this work could be an important step towards improving people’s health.

“The British have had a love affair with white bread for over a century, and nutritionists have been trying to get more people to eat wholemeal,” he says.

“The new research appears to be a very interesting approach to doing this.”

“Critics would say this is tricking people into improving their diet, but nutritionists would say it doesn’t matter how it’s done — what matters is that people get it in to improve their health!”

“But it remains to be seen whether this new approach will work,” he adds.

Also according to the BDA, research shows that 95% of adults do not eat enough whole grains — and almost one in three do not 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 led to everyone wanting white bread, because it looked like a certain status,” he explains.

“Then, some people changed again, going the other way, when research showed that (whole grain bread) is more nutritious.”

But Chris doesn’t believe this circle will close, because many people are used to eating white bread.

“White bread is much cheaper than wholemeal bread because companies are equipped to produce it. And it’s also what most people are used to.”