Chemical and sensory evaluation of bread sold in benue and Nasarawa States of central nigeria

Abstract

The proximate composition, vitamin and mineral contents as well as sensory properties of some selected brands of bread sold in Benue and Nasarawa States were determined using standard methods of analysis. Fresh loaves of six of the most popular brands of bread, three from Benue (Top choice, Ostrich, Tito) and three from Nasarawa (Emziler, Canaan, Gods Promise), constituting samples A-F, were purchased from the respective bread factorieswithin 4hrs of their production and used for the investigation. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in proximate composition with values ranging from 30.21-35.07% (moisture), 8.74-14.22% (crude protein), 2.00- 8.10% (crude fat), 0.71-1.05% (crude fibre), 6.00-7.93% (ash) and 35.81-48.18% (carbohydrate), thus showing compliance with Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) specifications, especially in terms of moisture, protein, crudefibre and carbohydrate contents. The fat and ash contents of most of the bread samples were far above the specifications of 2.00% and 0.60% maximum, respectively. The mineral andvitamin contents were found to be quite high in all the bread samples. Sensory evaluationshowed that sample C (Tito) was the most preferred followed by sample E, A, B, D in that order. Sample F (Gods Promise) was the least preferred in terms of sensory evaluation, but showed the highest compliance to SON specifications in terms of proximate composition. All the bread samples were found to be very rich in macro-and micro-nutrients. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2013.