consumer acceptability of spiced composite bread - The Federal ...

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Bread is a popular food in most societies. It is a staple food prepared by cooking dough of
flour and water and possibly more ingredients. It is universal food products that provide
carbohydrate (starches) which are important sources of energy especially in low fat diets and
bread itself is a low fat food (USDA Food Guide: Pyramid Booklet, 1996).
It may be
leavened or unleavened. Salt, fat and leavening agents such as yeast and baking soda are
common ingredients, though bread may contain other ingredients, such as milk, egg, sugar,
spice, fruit (such as raisins), vegetables (such as onion), nuts (such as walnuts) or seeds (such
as poppy seeds).
Fresh bread is prized for its taste, aroma, quality and texture. Retaining its freshness is
important to keep it appetizing. Bread that has stiffened or dried past its prime is said to be
stale. During storage, bread undergo staling, staling at bakery food generates major concerns,
economically losses to the baking industry from stale unsaleable bread which are estimated in
the order of 8 % of total production.
In Nigeria, bread is one of the most widely consumed food product that is readily available.
Over the years, bread in Nigeria is made from 100% Wheat flour, which has been
organoleptically accepted by consumers. The ban placed on importation of grain between
1987 and 1990 drastically reduced the consumption of wheat products. According to
Djoussou and Bokanga, wheat import recovered when the ban was lifted but overall trend for
wheat imports in Nigeria is one of decline. They attributed the decline in wheat imports to a
combination of high prices of imported foods including wheat and wheat products, currency
devaluation and a continual fall in real per capital incomes. These circumstances created a
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