Use of chromium-enriched yeast in the manufacture of French bread

Bread enriched with chromium has been associated with improved glycemic control. The purpose of this study was the production of a bread with chromium (Cr III) -enriched yeast which maintained overall bread quality. A formulation of French bread was prepared using an inactive yeast enriched with Cr III for comparison against a control bread made with standard yeast. Yeast fermentation power and bread color and texture were evaluated. There were no differences in the color (crumb and crust) or the firmness of the bread crumb, despite a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the yellow tonality (b*) of the bread crumb. Regarding cohesiveness, samples present similar values but a significant difference (p < 0.05) was detected between control and chromium breads. The average value of chromium in bread after processing was 1.717 μg/g in dry samples. This study concludes that it is possible to produce French bread with chromium enriched - yeast without changing the technological process or dramatically affecting its color and texture characteristics.