The bread VC: Its health impact and structure in France and the U.S.

Abstract

This chapter begins with a discussion of the concerns of U.S. consumers regarding bread, carbohydrates and obesity. Although French consumers haven’t developed the same concerns about bread as U.S. consumers, French public health officials have undertaken a national campaign based on the GI/GL system to persuade consumers to forego white baguette in favour of breads with lower GI/GL levels to reduce risk of obesity and other serious health conditions. While U.S. public health officials have largely ignored consumers’ health concerns associated with bread, bread producers have responded with a multitude of low-carbohydrate (or low GI/GL) products. These differences between consumer attitudes, public health strategies and bread producer response are discussed. The chapter continues with a comparison of the bread market and the three main bread value chain (VC)-industry segments—bakers, millers/grain processors and primary producers—in both countries. Although bakers in both countries receive the same training and use nearly the same ingredients in the same bread varieties, the differences in business management are stark. Likewise, millers/grain processors use similar processes in both countries but business structure is quite different. Wheat grower behaviour in the two countries showed the greatest differences; therefore, these characteristics are discussed in more detail. The chapter ends with an examination of: (1) the ingredients used in bread that may result in a beneficial or detrimental GI/GL value; (2) the production practices used by the baker, miller or wheat grower that could cause changes to protein quality characteristics (that in turn affect GI/GL levels); and (3) consumer behaviour related to bread consumption that could result in a high (i.e. detrimental) GI/GL value.