Bread has been a popular staple food for many years. In the UK the average individual consumes 677 g bread/week⁽¹⁾. Recent investigations show downward trends in purchases of white bread, yet an increase in wholegrain and ethnic breads⁽¹⁾. This factor has resulted in the development of baked products incorporating less-utilised and more-nutritious grains.

Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a small-grained cereal originating in Ethiopia and is favoured for its nutritional profile⁽²⁾. When compared with other grains, such wheat, barley and sorghum, teff is a rich source of fibre, protein, Fe, Ca and Zn⁽²–Reference Mengesha⁴⁾. Teff is particularly abundant in Fe; ⩽150 mg Fe/100 g is present in teff seeds⁽Reference Abebe, Bogale and Hambidge⁵⁾. Furthermore, the fermentation process used during bread making promotes phytate breakdown, further increasing the bioavailability of Fe⁽Reference Ramachandran and Bolodia⁶⁾.

In the UK the average adult female consumes 8.8 mg Fe/d; notably lower than the reference nutrient intake of 14.8 mg/d⁽Reference Henderson, Bates and Prentice⁷,⁸⁾. Although, anaemia is not a major public health problem in the UK, 9% of women of reproductive age have Hb levels<120 g/l; the diagnostic criteria for clinical anaemia⁽Reference Benoist, McLean and Egli⁹⁾. In contrast, in Ethiopia the prevalence of Fe-deficiency anaemia is lower, which is attributed to regular teff consumption⁽¹⁰⁾.

The aims of the present study were therefore to incorporate teff grain into bread, to determine the Fe content, texture qualities, sensory attributes and cost of teff breads and to compare them with control wheat bread. Teff flour was incorporated into breads at the levels of 10, 20 and 30% (w/w). Fe content of the teff and wheat flours and all breads was determined using the dipyridyl method⁽Reference Gebre-Medhin, Killander and Vahlquist¹¹⁾. Texture properties were evaluated using a texture analyser crumb compression test. Sensory analysis was conducted using a taste panel comprising fifty subjects.

The results clearly showed that teff flour contained significantly more Fe than wheat flour (7.64 mg/100 g v. 2.54 mg/100 g; P<0.001). Consequently, the Fe level in teff breads was significantly higher (3.13–6.01 mg/100 g) when compared with control bread (2.44 mg/100 g; P<0.01). Texture properties (specific loaf volume, crumb firmness, shelf life and cellular structure) showed no significant differences between control, 10 and 20% (w/w) teff breads. Only 30% (w/w) teff bread showed significant decrease in these quality variables. Sensory evaluation showed that 20–30% (w/w) teff breads were less acceptable than control and 10% (w/w) teff bread, which was significantly correlated with bitter aftertaste and flavour (r −0.62, P<0.01). Cost analysis showed that for a standard 400 g loaf the 10, 20 and 30% (w/w) teff breads cost £0.08, £0.17 and £0.25 respectively more than white wheat equivalent bread.

In conclusion, this research has identified that teff flour and breads are a rich source of dietary Fe. Thus, incorporating teff bread into the daily diet may be one way to improve the Fe status of women living in the UK.