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Which Bread is good for you?
This article is published under magazine INSIGHT, their research about breads.
We tested 14 brands of white bread, two of milk bread, and four of wheatmeal bread.
We tested the breads for chemical parameters such as total solid content, pH of aqueous extract, alcoholic acidity, ash, acid insoluble ash, crude fibre, and sorbic acid.
All the brands complied with the chemical parameters, except for alcoholic acidity. Both the milk breads, Kalory Milky Gold (1.08 per cent) and Super Milky (0.98 per cent) conformed to the PFA Act specification for alcoholic acidity but not the IS specification. IS : 11231-1985 (not more than 0.37 per cent by mass). Both brands however did not carry the IS certification mark.
A 100 gm bread, white, milk or wheatmeal, gave 0.2 to 2.0 gm of fat.
Protein content in all the three categories of breads (100 gm) was less than 10 gm.
We found 49.5 to 60.4 per cent (or gm/100 gm) of carbohydrates in all the three categories of bread.
All the brands of 14 white breads tested showed a very high amount of sodium ranging from 503 to 806 mg/100 gm, the two milk breads gave the lowest at Kalory Milky Gold (379 mg/100gm) and Super Milky (340 mg/100 gm). In the four wheatmeal breads, it ranged from 470 to 731 mg/100 gm.
Calcium in all the three categories of bread ranged from 51 to 83 mg/100 gm.
All the three categories of bread gave 215 to 255 kilocalories of energy, per 100 gm.
Though the PFA Act and the BIS do not have specifications for microbial tests for bread, our laboratory tested all the brands for total bacterial count, yeast/mould count, coliform count and E.coli as per the Canadian Standards for Bakery Products and CFTRI's proposed draft standard.
Total bacterial count : As per the Canadian Standards, the total bacterial count should not be more than 50000 cfu/g (colony forming units/gm). Three white breads, Italian Sandwich (140000), Oven Fresh (130000), Fresh ‘N’ Fresh (1100000), and three wheatmeal breads, Kalory Vital Brown (210000), Super Brown (5100000) and Satyam Golden Crust (Wheat) (4300000) did not conform to this parameter.
Yeast/mould count : The Canadian Standards have set a limit of 500 cfu/g. Seven white breads Satyam Golden Crust (15000), Kalory White (3500), Aabad Continental (13000), Italian Sandwich (53000), Oven Fresh (52000), Fresh ‘N’ Fresh (160000) and Upper Crust (17000) and three wheatmeal breads Kalory Vital Brown (240000), Super Brown (120000) and Satyam Golden Crust (Wheat) (1700000) did not comply with this parameter.
Coliform count : The Canadian Standards specify that the coliform count in bread should not be more than 50 cfu/g. Among the wheatmeal breads, Satyam Golden Crust (Wheat) had 54 cfu/g.
E.coli : E.coli, as per the CFTRI's proposed draft standard, should be absent in 0.1 g. All the brands, except Satyam Golden Crust (Wheat) (2/0.1 g) in the wheatmeal bread category, passed this test.
We tested the breads for their sensory qualities. Our panellists liked Kalory White (85) among the white breads the most, followed by Modern Special (78) and Satyam Golden Crust (77). Wheatmeal bread Super Brown (50) scored the least.
The mandatory labelling requirements for bread as per the PFA Act and the IS are name/trade name and description of food, ingredients, vegetarian logo, name and address of manufacturer/packer, net weight, date of manufacturing/packing, and ‘best before’ date.
Nine white breads, Empire Sandwich, Maruti White, Monginis Sandwich, Kalory White, Aabad Continental, Italian Sandwich, Oven Fresh, Fresh ‘N’ Fresh, and Upper Crust; the milk bread Kalory Milky Gold and two wheatmeal breads, Kalory Vital Brown and Super Brown, did not give the date of mfg./pkg. and the ‘best before’ date .
Though Super Sandwich and Britannia Premium did not mention the date of mfg./pkg., the ‘best before’ date was mentioned. Hence, they were considered conforming.
Super Milky did not mention the date of mfg./pkg. Though the 'best before' date was mentioned, we still considered it 'non- conforming' as it did not meet the IS specification for alcoholic acidity.
Oven Fresh did not give any other information except the name and address of the manufacturer.
Fresh ‘N’ Fresh had a plain wrapper without any information.
Satyam Golden Crust (Wheat) had put a sticker for the ‘description of food’ which is not permitted under the law.
Kalory Milky Gold did not mention milk powder among the ingredients.
Upper Crust, among the white breads, and Kalory Milky Gold in the milk bread category did not carry the vegetarian logo, nor did Kalory Vital Brown and Super Brown in the wheatmeal category.
According to the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977, a packet of bread up to and equal to 400 gm should not weigh less than 368 gm. Among the white breads, two packets out of four of Aabad Continental did not comply with the Rules, while other two weighed less than the labelled weight.
With a good overall score and a reasonable price, white breads Modern Special and Super Sandwich, and wheatmeal bread Modern Kissan have been recommended as our ‘Best Buys’.