Get ready for ‘healthier’ white bread! Scientists are trying to create a bread that is as nutritious as whole wheat flour, but not as bland
For years, white bread was demonized because it was full of additives and lacking essential nutrients.
Well, now scientists are trying to create a ‘healthier’ version of the traditional bread.
Under a government-funded project, bakers will mix peas, beans and grains into bread.
Bran and wheat germ – which are typically removed from white flour – will also be recycled.
Experts hope the end result will be a nutritious white bread that is still tasty.
Researchers add peas, beans and grains to the bread mix, as well as bran and wheat germ that are normally removed from white flour. Researchers hope that white bread lovers can enjoy a bread that is rich in nutrients
Previous attempts to do so have failed to satisfy customers’ taste buds.
The research from Aberystwyth University comes after experts stressed last month that white bread is not ‘as bad as many people think’.
Dr. Catherine Howarth, one of the project leaders, told us BBC they analyze the chemical composition of white flour.
Currently, all white and brown flours must be fortified with calcium, iron, thiamin (vitamin B1) and niacin (vitamin B3).
But the exact nutritional details may vary between the two.
Dr. Howarth claimed that creating the new bread would prove to be a delicate balancing act of retaining the taste and texture of white bread but giving it a nutritional boost.
It involves adding smaller amounts of wheat germ and some of the bran extracted during the milling process.
Researchers will also add other grains richer in vitamins, minerals and fiber, such as quinoa, teff, sorghum and millet.
Peas and chickpeas are also added for extra protein.
The new white bread, which is still in the early stages of research, will be unlike any other bread on the market, including 50/50 loaves, which use 50 percent whole wheat flour and no chunks.
Instead, it becomes a completely white bread, but with added nutrients.
By adding grains, scientists can increase iron, zinc and vitamin levels.
But most importantly, they can also increase fiber content, something white bread lacks compared to whole wheat bread.
Mass-produced white breads from the supermarket are now widely considered ultra-processed foods (UPF) – typically anything edible that contains more artificial ingredients than natural ones.
These include chemicals, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives that extend shelf life.
White bread contains about 2.8 g of sugar and 0.72 g of salt in two slices, it contains only 2 g of fiber and 7 g of protein
Proponents of low-carb diets have also long vilified the white bread, warning that its higher carbohydrate content can cause spikes in our blood sugar levels that make us more irritable, tired and prone to weight gain.
Yet, Dietitians say there is nothing wrong with white bread from the supermarket, which also contains essential nutrients.
Dr. Duane Mellor of the British Dietetic Association said: ‘It’s important to remember that in Britain we already enrich white wheat flour so that it is equivalent to whole wheat flour in iron, calcium, thiamin and niacin.’
However, whole wheat bread is slightly better for you, experts claim. That’s because it contains more fiber and protein.
‘When comparing whole wheat flour and white flour the main difference is the fiber which using peas and other plant sources could help,’ said Dr Mellor.
‘In terms of extra protein, this may sound good, but in bread the protein can have more than just nutritional value, because gluten is important for giving structure to bread.’
Eating wholemeal bread is an easy way to increase our fiber intake, according to Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an industry-recognized nutrition scientist at the University of Reading.
He said: ‘The biggest problem with white bread is that it often contains very little fiber or whole grains.
‘There are breads that are rich in fiber or contain more whole wheat bread, but that is not all the case.
‘In general we don’t eat enough fibre, and you can easily increase that with bread.’
Two whole wheat slices contain approximately 2 g of sugar and 0.86 g of salt. It also contains about three times as much fiber: 6 grams in two slices and 9.4 grams of protein
Just two slices of white bread contain approximately 36 grams of carbohydrates. Similar levels are found in two whole wheat slices in the bread basket.
While white bread contains about 2.8 grams of sugar and 0.72 grams of salt in two slices, it contains only 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.
For comparison, two whole wheat slices contain about 2 grams of sugar and 0.86 grams of salt. It also contains about three times as much fiber: 6 grams in two slices and 9.4 grams of protein.
It is hoped that the healthy white bread will be on supermarket shelves in about two years.
But first Dr Howarth will have to come up with a number of possible recipes and present them to Chris Holister, product development manager of Gloucestershire flour manufacturer Shipton Mill, who will convert the recipes into bread.
Ultimately, the healthy loaves will be tested on people to see if they can distinguish them from sliced white loaves from the supermarket.
But Mr Holister admits there is still much more work to be done.