Coco flour eyed as alternative ingredient for bread products

CEBU, Philippines - The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FNRI) is recommending bakers to use coconut flour as ingredient in the formulation of functional food such as bread.

In recent years, the continuous rise of the prices of bakery products in the market is reportedly caused by wheat shortage and flour-based products worldwide. Local bakers said that they will not raise the prices of their products if the government finds a substitute that is cheaper and locally available.

To address this need, the DOST-FNRI looked into the potential of using of coconut flour as an ingredient in the formulation of functional food such as bread.

One of the products of coconut is the sapal, or shredded coconut meat left after extracting the coconut milk. The sapal, also called coconut residue, is made into coconut flour.

According to DOST-FNRI, coconut flour can be used as alternative to wheat flour. As such, it can pitch in to the low supply of wheat and flour products, especially that the technology for producing coconut flour from the residue is simple and only requires locally available equipment.

FNRI also said that coconut flour has a total dietary fiber (TDF) content that is even greater than the popular dietary fiber sources like oat brand and flaxseed.

As such, increased intake of high-fiber food was found to be effective in elimination of waste, sugar and fat from the body. It is suggested for better control of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

With the use of coconut flour in the formulation of different food products, the general consuming public would benefit also from this aside from the coconut industry and local bakers.

Coconut flour is a readily available source of dietary fiber that is used in products such as extruded snacks, processed meat, breakfast cereals and baked goods, which the masses or ordinary people want to have on their breakfast tables like the pandesal.

As people get more health conscious, the demand for functional food products increased as well. The DOST-FNRI believes that increasing food products with coconut flour is one way to meet the demands of the consumers. —/JOB (FREEMAN)