Bakers in the Philippines to lessen sugar content in pandesal

Big bakers have expressed willingness to reduce the use of sugar in the production of bread products, particularly pandesal, to help alleviate the tight supply of sugar, support sugar farmers, and promote healthy eating in the country, Johnlu Koa, president of the country’s largest commercial bakers association – Philippine Baking Industry Group, said they can reformulate their pandesal recipe following calls by small bakers for big bakers to reduce sugar and return to the original salty pandesal. Sugar is one of the major ingredients in bread production. “Yes, of course,” said Koa, but he hastened to add that it is like “asking consumers to reduce sugar in coffee.” Nonetheless, Koa explained that in the science of baking, sugar could be reduced by half without affecting the volume of baked products nor the bread quality. “The overall impact is the lack of sweetness that will hamper consumption,” said Koa, explaining further that most baked goods are consumed as breakfast product ...