Phytochemical fortification of flour and bread

Abstract

An increased consumer desire for a healthy lifestyle has resulted in demands from the bakery industry for breads containing functional compounds. There is an immediate requirement for the food industry to prepare healthy bakery products to satisfy consumers' needs. New plant-derived natural ingredients or processing steps are needed to develop breads with similar qualities as those of white ones. As the number of available phytochemicals increases, the incorporation of these functional ingredients into bakery foods will become easier. Many phytochemicals exist for bakery applications, and producers have started formulating breads with soy isoflavones, ?-glucans, conjugated linoleic acid, and n-3 fatty acids. Research is needed to evaluate the effects of the phytochemical ingredients on the functional and nutritional properties of bread. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.