Tanzina Hossain, Mohammad Mozibul Haque, Nahidur Rahman, Muntaha Chowdhury
This study was carried out to improve the nutritional composition of bread, specifically antioxidant capacity, phenolic compound concentration, and mineral content, while preserving or enhancing its texture, color, and sensory qualities. The effect of tomato powder addition on the physicochemical characteristics and shelf-life stability of bread was investigated. Proximate analysis showed that the incorporation of tomato powder resulted in increased fiber content from 0.45% to 1.48%, ash from 1.31% to 1.75%, fat from 9.26% to 11.58%, and protein from 7.88% to 8.57%, while carbohydrate content decreased from 52.90% to 46.357%. Additionally, tomato powder significantly (p<0.05) enhanced antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, and minerals (Ca, K, Fe). Microbiological analysis demonstrated that sample D (9% tomato powder) exhibited slower microbial growth, increasing from 0.0017 × 10 5 CFU/g on day 1 to 6.14 × 10 5 CFU/g on day 7, compared to sample A (0% tomato powder), which grew from 0.015 × 10 5 to 1170 × 10 5 CFU/g. Sensory analysis indicated that a 6% incorporation of tomato powder resulted in acceptable product quality. These findings support tomato powder's potential to enhance bread's nutritional profile and shelf-life stability.