Annually, the population of Europe consumes more than 30 million kg of bread and its products. The consumption of these baked goods is relatively stable – the amount changes slightly, but the flavors and nutritional properties of the baked goods change. Meanwhile, nutritionists advise not only to consider the composition of bread, but also the amount of it eaten.

According to dietician Gabriele Štulaitė, in the food choice pyramid, bread is on the first level together with other grain products, but this does not mean that bread should make up the majority of our diet.

“A person needs to get a variety of nutrients with food every day – no single food product has them all, thus it is necessary to consume as many different foods as possible. During the main meals of the day – breakfast, lunch and dinner – a quarter of the plate should be occupied by whole grain products. Bread would be a good choice to fill this part of the plate, but you should not exceed one standard-sized slice of bread per day”, says G. Štulaitė.

Disproved the myth that black bread is healthier

Although, according to the “Statistica” portal, the popularity of bread is gradually decreasing – in 2021, 7% less bread was consumed in Europe than a decade ago – bread remains one of the main food products for daily consumption.

“It is not the consumption of bread that is changing, but the size and choice of its loaf. For example, if in the past it was customary to bake large loaves of bread weighing several kilograms, now customers are offered much smaller packages of 300-400 g each. This was influenced by changed consumption habits – residents shop much more often, so it is no longer necessary to stock up on bread for a longer period of time. In addition, the fact that households are decreasing in their size also contributes,” says Ramunė Puzinienė, Head of New Product Development at “Mantinga”, who has been working in this field for more than 20 years.

Discovering new tastes

According to R. Puzinienė, Lithuanian residents willingly try new bread products – with spelled flour, pieces of vegetables or fruits, as well as recipes from cuisines of other countries.

“We notice that consumers are more inclined to read food product labels and choose bread products with the most natural ingredients, taste and color. Consumers are becoming not only pickier, but also more demanding of bread quality – handmade bread products with an attractive appearance and composition are becoming extremely relevant. For this reason, you can find bread without added sugar or E additives on store shelves,” says the interviewer.

The old traditions of baking bread are perfectly combined with modern technologies – for example, bread fermented with natural leaven for up to 36 hours has a porous pulp, and when baked in a stone oven, a particularly crispy crust is obtained.