Organoleptic profiles of bread produced using various natural flavours

Bread is one of the world’s most common and widely consumed foods. It is an important and affordable food for the poor in developing countries like Nigeria. The nutritional values of bread can be greatly improved by the addition of natural flavours. However, there have not been many studies on flavouring breads with natural flavours. The objective of this study was to evaluate sensory and consumer acceptability of breads produced using natural flavours. Selected flavours were ginger, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and nutmeg. These natural flavours are revered for their potential health attributes. They are reported to have positive effects in the treatment of numerous diseases, especially chronic ones such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Nutrition and health are intricately linked, and this is a well-established fact. The ability of nutrition (in this case, nutrients from the selected natural flavours) to reduce the risk of diseases has engaged the attention of researchers and nutritionists alike in recent decades. In this study, five samples were produced using each of the selected flavours in the production of breads. Each of the five bread samples was produced using 5 % ginger, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric or nutmeg powder. Bread was baked using automatic commercial baking line according to American Association of Cereal Chemists. Production of the various bread samples was done under the same environmental conditions. Sensory analysis was done for various sensory attributes of the five bread samples by 50 consumer panelists comprising staff and students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The panelists ranked the consumer acceptability of the various samples using a 9-point hedonic scale. The colour, taste, flavour, texture, and general acceptability were rated. Bread produced using 5 % ginger powder had the highest mean hedonic score for colour, taste, flavour, texture, and general acceptability, implying that sample A was the most preferred and would be the likely most acceptable by consumers.