Nutritional Quality of Bread and Bakery Products. Case Study: Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Within nutritional food models, the role of carbohydrates is essential in understanding the evolution of non-communicable, diet-related diseases and in proposing effective interventions, and bakery products, especially bread, play a central role in this scenario, as they remain the staple foods of human nutrition, providing 70% of people's food. This research aims to evaluate the nutritional quality of bread and bakery products packaged and sold in the Republic of Moldova through the lens of nutritional and health claims. The product categories selected for the research included bread and bakery products with and without gluten, packaged and sold in markets in Chisinau. A total of 155 products were validated. The quality of local bread, packaged and sold in the Republic of Moldova, evaluated according to the nutritional and health claims, for the most part, falls into the categories of low-fat content, low saturated fat content, low sugar content. Still, it has significant deficiencies in regarding the fibre content, whose contribution to human health and well-being is proven. At the same time, the results obtained show that the insistence of research and efforts in the development of gluten-free products to improve nutritional aspects have yielded results. The results of the study could be applied to guide the formulation of dietary standards, improve labelling systems, and help consumers make informed choices about healthy foods. At the same time, nutrition assessment studies are needed through valid and effective assessment systems considering multidimensional indicators.