Viral video shows brown bread being made with 'maida', angers social media users. Watch

Stills from the video which shows food colour being added to the dough to change its colour to brown. (Image credit: @dietitian_shikha_kumari/Instagram)

A viral video on how brown bread is made in India has broken the perception that it's a healthier option because it's made with wheat flour and angered social media users.

The clip shared by a dietician shows how the bread is prepared in a factory with refined flour or "maida", salt, sugar and oil. The brown colour of the bread was created by the use of food colour and not because of the presence of wheat flour or "aata".

Titled ‘This is how brown bread is made', the video sought to educate consumers to be aware of what they eat. "Commercial brown bread products may not be as wholesome as they claim," dietician Shikha Kumari said on Instagram.

"When buying bread from the store, read the ingredient list carefully. Look for products that list whole wheat flour as the first ingredient and don’t contain excessive additives, preservatives, or artificial colours," she added.

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A post shared by Dt. Shikha Kumari (@dietitian_shikha_kumari)

The same idea was supported by popular food blogger and influencer Food Pharmer aka Revant Himatsingka, who had in July highlighted that brown bread was indeed not healthier than white bread because it was also made with refined flour.

Explaining white bread is made up of maida or refined flour which has very little nutritional value, he said, "The maida is created by polishing the wheat which removes its layers of fiber."

Bread in India is a big joke! There are two types of bread in India. One which is openly unhealthy (white bread), and the second type (brown, multigrain, wholewheat) which pretend to be healthy when they are not!

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Till a few decades ago, bread wasn't as common in India. But now… pic.twitter.com/8yOQsG7jKn

— Revant Himatsingka “Food Pharmer” (@foodpharmer2) July 22, 2023

"Brown bread in India is also not healthy," Himatsingka said in his video showing how the brown colour of the bread is achieved through colour and not because it is made up of wheat flour. "They are brown because of a caramel colour 150A. This caramel colour is similar to the colour in Coca Cola and Bournvita."

Advising people to opt for wheat flour rotis instead of bread, the Food Pharmer added that if people still want to continue eating processed bread, they should check the ingredients listed on the packet and avoid varieties that have maida, palm oil and preservatives such as those available from local bakers.

Read more: Man launches site to help singles find half loaves of bread