Project Materials

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE HEALTH DANGERS OF POTASSIUM BROMATE CONTENT IN BREAD

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Bread is a major source of nutrition in Nigeria. It is widely consumed in households, restaurants, and hotels. Bread is manufactured from low-protein wheat. It usually incorporates a variety of components that serve to increase the bread’s quality.

Aside from flour, some of the fundamental specified ingredients include table salt, sugars, flavours, and at least one flour improver, such as potassium bromate (Vicki, 1997).

The primary problem in both the flour milling industry and bakeries is the baking quality of flour, which is defined by the ability of the dough made from it to retain gas.

Because flour composition varies greatly, various treatments and supplements (flour/bread improvers) are used to increase mixing strength, flexibility for moulding, and loaf volume and texture.

Several improvers have been utilised over the years, however investigations have revealed that some are harmful to one’s health, demanding their ban.

Potassium bromate has long been a popular choice among flour millers and bakers around the world due to its low cost and efficiency as an oxidising agent.

It works as a delayed oxidising agent during the fermentation, proving, and baking processes, influencing the dough’s structure and rheological qualities.

As a result, many bakeries utilise potassium bromate as an ingredient to help with the rising process and provide a texture in the completed product that the public enjoys.