The Market Research and Consumer Protection Center at the University of Baghdad organized a panel discussion entitled (Natural and Industrial Bread Improvers). The lecture was given by Assistant Professor Raafat Ahmed Abu Al-Maali.
The seminar aimed to identify the types of bread improvers, their benefits and harms, and it is possible to achieve one of the sustainable development goals related to consumer health and the environment when a healthy approach is followed free of industrial substances harmful to health and the environment.
The seminar pointed to the addition of many materials to the pastes to improve the quality of bread products, and these materials are classified according to their functional role into bleaching, oxidizing substances, emulsifiers, vitamins, and anti-mold materials. They are subject to strict legal legislation issued by international bodies and organizations interested in consumer health and safety in which the quality and quantity are determined to ensure the safety of products, and bread improvers are divided into industrial and natural, and the use of industrial materials prohibited as additives in the bread and pastry industry may lead to serious consequences on consumer health.
The seminar showed that industrial bread improvers are chemicals or enzymes added to the dough to improve the properties of bread, such as texture, size, and shelf life, despite their technological benefits, some of these materials may pose potential health risks, especially when excessive consumption or when using harmful types, the main goal of their use is to meet the requirements of mass production (increasing quantity, reducing cost, extending shelf life), and international organizations have banned some of these additives or limited their percentage.
This workshop achieves one of the sustainable development goals represented by the second goal, which calls for eradicating hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture.