An assessment of sodium levels in different breads and bread intake in the Lebanese population -

Abstract

Bread is considered a staple food in Lebanon. It is one of the most consumed food products by the population. The objectives of this study were to assess the salt content in bread and to determine its daily intake. Six types of bread were collected from bakeries (n= 45) across all Lebanese provinces. AACC 40-71(American Association for Cereal Chemists) was followed for sodium analysis. Food frequency questionnaires were filled by random panelists in many regions in Lebanon (in 3 provinces). The salt content of the different types was as follows: white pita 1.3 percent (± 0.66), brown pita 1.5 percent (± 0.77), white baguette 2.2 percent (± 0.9), brown baguette 1.9 percent (± 1.03), markouk 2.8 percent (± 1.16) and tannour 2.2 percent (± 0.96). Daily bread consumption was higher among males, as expected. Consumption levels were as follows: white pita 88.6 gram per day (± 135.21), brown pita 39.74 grams per day (± 71.63), white baguette 14.06 grams per day (± 43.36), brown baguette 5.12 grams per day (± 13.83), markouk 11.83 grams per day (± 38.7) and tannour 3.77 grams per day (± 13.23).Consumption trends of bread were affected by several factors: gender, province, type of bread and the interaction of some variables together. This work highlights the necessity of establishing national policies with respect to salt content in foods.