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Bread has been a widely consumed traditional staple food in the UK for centuries, although there has been a decrease in consumption over the past 50 years. This may reflect the increased availability and popularity of other starchy foods such as pasta and rice and potentially negative misconceptions around bread and health (e.g. weight gain and gastrointestinal symptoms). On average, in the UK, bread provides 11–12% of energy, 16–20% of carbohydrate, 10–12% of protein and 17–21% of fibre intakes across all age groups and is a key contributor to micronutrient intakes (9–14% of folate, 15–17% of iron, 12–17% of calcium, 12–13% of magnesium and 10–11% of zinc). White bread is the largest contributor to salt intakes in the UK, though average salt content has been declining, largely as a result of the government reformulation programme with the food industry, including the setting of salt reduction targets. The mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid, a strategy used successfully in >60 other countries as a means of reducing neural tube defects (NTDs), is currently being considered and may be an important public health initiative. The variety of fibre types in bread such as arabinoxylan, oligosaccharides and resistant starch, as well as other bioactives including polyphenols, are an area of emerging interest in relation to nutrition and health. This paper gives an overview of the current contribution of bread to nutrient intakes and considers trends which may change the role of bread in our diet going forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of crops that by harvest have accumulated higher amounts of a particular micronutrient than standard crops is known as biofortification. Biofortified staple crops such as provitamin A‐biofortified sweet potato ('orange sweet potato'), zinc‐biofortified rice ('zinc rice') and iron‐biofortified beans ('iron beans'), developed by selective breeding, have been introduced into developing countries with the goal of reducing micronutrient deficiencies. In these settings, micronutrient deficiencies caused by low dietary intakes and exacerbated by inflammation and infection result in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this review is twofold: (1) to describe the impact of biofortified crops on micronutrient intake, nutritional status and other biological endpoints in developing countries and (2) to consider the relevance of these nutritional effects in other parts of the world such as Europe. Regular consumption of biofortified crops in developing countries where micronutrient deficiency is common has been shown to increase micronutrient intakes and thus help meet the World Health Organization's dietary recommendations. In terms of micronutrient status, most research has been conducted using provitamin A‐biofortified crops (particularly orange sweet potato), with large 2‐ to 3‐year studies indicating increases in plasma retinol, though additional studies measuring change in body stores would provide more definitive evidence. There is some evidence to suggest that iron‐biofortified crops can increase iron status (measured by serum ferritin and total body iron), but further studies are required to demonstrate the efficacy of zinc‐biofortified foods. Intakes of some micronutrients are low in some UK population subgroups (in particular adolescents and young adult women), with sizeable proportions having intakes below the lower reference nutrient intake. There is also evidence of low status for some nutrients (e.g. iron and in particular vitamin D), although the prevalence of iron deficiency is much less, and therefore the consequences less severe, than seen in the developing world. The final part of the paper describes strategies used to improve micronutrient intake in Europe, such as fortification of bread flour post‐harvest and supplementation with vitamin D and folic acid, and discusses whether there is a role for biofortified crops in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]