Composite Flours for Baked Products and Possible Challenges – A Review

ABSTRACTThis paper is a review of how consumption of bread, other leavened products and unleavened products made from wheat flour has increased rapidly in Nigeria and other developing countries. It examines how this has resulted in large scale importation of wheat and the consequent drain on the nation’s foreign currency earnings. It contains some suggestions on how to reduce the high import bills of wheat by using composite flours or blends of wheatless flours in place of wheat flour for making leavened and unleavened products. Some studies on the quality characteristics of leavened and unleavened products made from composite flours or blends of wheat flours were reviewed. Some possible challenges likely to be encountered in case Nigeria changes from use of wheat flour to composite flours and blends of wheatless flours are also outlined.