Milling & Baking News - November 2, 2010 - 12

Business 

Bread increasingly viewed as
ideal vehicle for added nutrition
Continued from Page 1

Grain, Honey Wheat and Split Top
Wheat.
Dan Larson, marketing manager
for Mrs Baird's, said before the enhancements there were no significant
amounts of vitamins A and E in Mrs
Baird's non-fortified wheat bread
products. After the enhancement, two
slices of Honey 7 Grain bread contain
25% of the recommended daily value
of vitamins A and E. Two slices of
100% Whole Grain, Split Top Wheat
and Honey Wheat each contain 20% of
the recommended daily value of vitamins A and E. The bread varieties experienced no change in taste or texture
following the enhancement, he added.
Vitamins' value
Vitamin A is essential for vision, the
immune system, bone growth, and
skin cell growth and repair, among
other functions. Vitamin A deficiency
is mostly found among malnourished,
elderly, chronically ill, but is more
prevalent in developing countries.
Vitamin E is found in nut oils, whole
grains, wheat germ and spinach. It
acts as an antioxidant, and is thought
to help prevent atherosclerosis, or
hardening of the arteries.
Bread is an ideal and economical
vehicle for delivery of micronutrients and microminerals, according to
sources within the industry.
"Bread is eaten by most consumers
every day," said Albert Bachman, director of quality, research and development for The Long Co., Chicago.
"So as long as every day you can eat
a sandwich or toast or whichever, you
can assure yourself you're getting
those vitamins, minerals or micronutrients as opposed to eating something
one day a week or two days a week."
Grains are at the base of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Food
Pyramid, and bread has played a significant role in eradicating diseases
such as rickets. In the case of folic acid,
researchers have found that food fortification with folic acid is associated
with a significant reduction in the rate
of neural-tube defects.
"A woman will have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich potentially before she knows she's pregnant," said
Theresa Cogswell, president of BakerCogs, Inc., Olathe, Kas. "So she'll get
her folic acid at the right time."
Ms. Cogswell also spoke about
12 / November 2, 2010 Milling & Baking News

minerals bakers may wish to reduce.
"If you look at the history of enrichment, and the fact that we're the base
of the food guide pyramid, it's easier
to understand why we need to reduce
sodium. We need to reduce sodium not
because bread is a high-sodium food,
but because people eat so much bread."
Fresh bread sales from stores, including Wal-Mart, totaled more than $8.3

billion for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 7,
2010, according to The Nielsen Co.
"If you introduce a bread that meets
consumer needs and include some
added value nutrition, it is likely to
be well received," Ms. Sanders said.
"An excellent example of this would
be iron enriched white bread, which
was really appealing to parents who
wanted to provide additional iron and
vitamins for their children in a product that children found appealing.
"With regard to antioxidants,
with consumers' added desire to increase their intake, why not offer that
through a bread product and fill the
consumers' desires for such a valueadded product."
Cost a factor
What gives industry, and consumers,

pause when considering fortified
items such as bread is the dreaded "c"
word - cost.
"I think there is some amount of it
out there," Mr. Bachman said. "I don't
think the consumer has latched onto it
because frankly there is a pretty hefty
price increase to do those things over
and above what a regular loaf of bread
costs." He gave a hypothetical situation.
"If you looked at a pound loaf ingredient cost and said it cost 20c a pound
to add two or three micronutrients, it
would add 1c to the cost per pound. If
you want to add omega-3s, that's another 5c on top of that 22c.
"Percentage-wise,
you've
increased your ingredient costs by
25% just to enrich that. If your bread
is selling for $2.49 and now you've
got to get $2.79 for this enriched loaf
or fortified loaf, the consumer isn't
picking up that that's why the price
difference is there."
Manufacturers also face challenges
beyond costs.
"Current food additive regulations
prohibit fortification of whole wheat
and whole grain with folic acid," Ms.
Sanders said. "Several years ago, A.B.A.
considered a potential citizens petition
to change that regulation, but the consumption studies of all folate containing
foods that would have been required by
F.D.A. were cost prohibitive."
Bread manufacturers continue to
pursue fortification despite the costs
and the challenges associated with
creating a premium product amid
stringent regulations. Manufacturers
have adapted and have made advances in fortification by calling enriched
bread "premium" bread and trying to
make them "a good source," which is
10% of the recommended daily value
for a nutrient, Mr. Bachman said.
"I do think you're going to see more
of those products, and hopefully the
consumer will purchase them and understand that there is a cost associated
with it," he said. MBN

Tim Hortons adds oatmeal, breakfast wraps
OAKVILLE, ONT. - Tim Hortons
has introduced new homestyle oatmeal and breakfast wraps.
The new whole grain oatmeal is
low in fat and high in fiber, according to Tim Hortons, and is slowcooked every morning for 45 minutes. The oatmeal is available in two
varieties: mixed berries or maple.
In addition to the launch of homestyle oatmeal, Tim Hortons has

added breakfast wraps. The wraps
contain scrambled eggs, cheddar
cheese and sauce, with either bacon
or sausage in a whole wheat tortilla.
Both the homestyle oatmeal and
breakfast wraps have a suggested
retail price of $1.99.
Other items on Tim Hortons'
breakfast menu include coffee,
baked goods and breakfast sandwiches. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - November 2, 2010

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