Bread: Consumption, Cultural Significance & Health Effects

Bread is a pivotal food in many cultures around the world. Besides energy, it provides some nutritional benefits, being an important source of dietary fibres and vitamins. Chapter One highlights some of the valences which the bread has been endowed for as a foodstuff and symbol. Chapter Two points out the current trends on bread consumption with respect to healthier lifestyles, the use of alternative ingredients and manufacturing adjustments. Chapter Three discusses the purchasing habits and the level of knowledge about bread in the centre of Portugal, as well as in what way those habits might be influenced by sociodemographic variables. Chapter Four investigated the combination of durum wheat flour and soft (Triticum durum) in sponge cake, concha type and muffins. Chapter Five covers the use of Brazilian cerrado fruits, and their potential to increase the nutritional value of foods, contribute to reducing hunger, poverty, and inequality in underprivileged regions, and contribute to economic, political and social development. Chapter Six discusses how elaborate new breads enhance the traditional nutritional value by increasing the intake of vitamins, fibre and bioactive compounds and helping to maintain the body health Chapter Seven presents several alternatives for fiber enrichment of bread with a focus on the technological and functional effect of fibre addition on bread quality. Chapter Eight evaluates the influence of the partial replacement of wheat flour by isolated soy protein and the performance of transglutaminase on the dough rheology and the technological quality of the bread. Chapter Nine gives an overview of the influence of the addition of prebiotic components on the technological and sensory properties and on the health benefits of bread. See more