Nutritional Content of Sliced Bread Available in Quebec, Canada: Focus on Sodium and Fibre Content

Abstract

Bread is a highly consumed food and an important source of nutrients in the diet of Canadians, underlining the need to improve its nutritional quality. The Food Quality Observatory (Observatory) aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of the sliced bread products available in Quebec (Canada), according to their grain type and main flour. Analyses included comparing the bread’s sodium content to Health Canada’s daily values (DV) and sodium voluntary targets, comparing the bread’s fibre content thresholds with the source of fibre mentioned, and assessing whether the main flour was associated with the nutrient content. The nutritional values of 294 sliced breads available in Quebec were merged with sales data (from October 2016 to October 2017), with 262 products successfully cross-referenced. The results showed that 64% of the breads purchased were ‘low’ in fibre (i.e., below 2 g per two slices), while 47% were ‘high’ in sodium (i.e., above 15% DV per two slices). Attention should be paid to 100% refined grain bread and to bread with refined flour as the main flour, since they are great sellers, while showing a less favourable nutrient content. This study shows that there is room for improvement in the nutritional content of Quebec’s bread offer, particularly regarding sodium and fibre content.