Nutrients composition of flours used in preparation of various breads in Bahrain

Abstract

The chemical and amino acid compositions of flour mixtures used in different kinds of breads in Bahrain were determined. Proximate analysis was found to be comparable. Protein ranged from 9.5% to 10.3%. All flour mixtures had low levels of fiber (0.3–0.5%), indicating low extraction rates of flours used in preparing bread. Mineral compositions were also comparable, except for potassium and phosphorus. The sodium value of flour mixture used in tanoor bread (7.7 mg/100 g) was higher than that of other flour mixtures (3.1–4.0 mg/100 g), possibly due to contamination of the flour with salt during the blending process. No differences were observed between the amino acid profiles of the flour mixtures studied. All flour mixtures contained low levels of lysine, isoleucine, valine and threonine when compared with the FAO/WHO reference protein.