Bakers had warned that bread prices are expected to go up by as much as P2 as sugar costs continue to rise, bakers said. Other price increases may be due to an expected rise in flour prices. In order to soften the latter impact, Senator Legarda, chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) is advocating the use of coco flour as wheat flour extender.
Coconut flour is made from residues of coconut meat or kernel (desiccated or food-grade copra), locally known as sapal. After the kernel has dried and has under-gone oil extraction, it is grounded into fine powder to become coco flour.
According to PCA, substituting five percent of wheat flour with coco flour would increase the potential market demand of high-protein coco flour to 156,230 metric tons annually. Coco flour is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, carbohydrates, iron, niacin, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, and thiamine.
Studies show that the amino acids in coconut protein are well-balanced making it suitable for utilization by the human body. Coco protein is comparable to casein, the protein found in animal milk. Coco flour is gluten-free; gluten is the protein found in wheat flour and it can cause allergy in some people. Since coco flour is rich in fiber, it prevents constipation; helps maintain blood sugar levels; prevents the risk of certain cancers; and contributes to weight management.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) promotes the use of coco flour as ingredient in functional or medicinal foods to help prevent hypercholesterolemia or high blood cholesterol among Filipinos. In a study, FNRI found that mixing 15 to 20 percent of coco flour with corn cereals reduces the levels of low-density lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol.”
Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_114_Loren_advocates_coco_flour_for_pan_de_sal.php
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