ASSESSING WHEAT- FLOUR- BREAD CHAIN AND PROVIDING STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ITS QUALITY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF STAKEHOLDERS AND EXPERTS

Background and Aim: The aim of the present study was to identify barriers to improve the quality of bread and strategies for its improvement from the perspective of stakeholders and experts. Methods: Participants were 118 people including 35 stakeholders in the fields of production and distribution of wheat and flour and bread; and 83 consumers (40 housewives, 23 employed women, and 20 men), aged 25–75 years, selected by purposeful sampling technique, considering maximum diversity. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect information from key stakeholders and consumers, respectively. Qualitative content analysis of the data was conducted utilizing MAXQDA® software. Results: Barriers to improve the quality of bread were categorized in 3 main groups: (i) limitations and barriers related to raw materials (including the low quality of domestic wheat, inappropriate maintenance of wheat after harvest, undesirable flour quality, …), (ii) limitations and barriers related to the bakery (including inadequate experience of bakery workers, lack of hygiene in the bakeries, use of illegal additives such as baking soda or blanket, non-standard physical space of bakeries, … ), (iii) limitations and barriers related to the management system (including lack of sufficient precision when buying wheat due to the government s purchasing system, limited storage capacity of wheat silos, carelessness in allocating bakery privileges to qualified people, lack of training for bakers, …). Given these barriers, stakeholders proposed strategies to improve wheat- flour- bread chain. Conclusion: Understanding these barriers can help policymakers and planners to improve the quality of bread production and supply.

کلیدواژه ها:

Wheat- flour- bread chain ، Bread quality ، Barriers ، Qualitative study