Scientists developing healthier white bread

From farmhouse to sourdough, whole wheat to seeded, not all loaves of bread are the same — and not all are equally good for you.

However, scientists in the UK are trying to help a bread that's known for being less healthy do more for your body.

A project funded by the UK government is trying to create white bread that's as healthy as whole wheat, but still looks and tastes like white bread.

Catherine Howarth, one of the project's leaders, told the BBC that the team wants to start by finding out which vitamins and minerals are lost as white flour is prepared, and then find ways to get them back.

For example, wheat germ and bran are usually removed from white flour. But the researchers hope to put them back — at least in small amounts.

Wheat germ and wheat bran both contain vitamins, minerals and protein — as well as lots of fiber, which white bread usually has very little of.

The researchers will also try adding small amounts of things like peas, beans and oats to increase the bread's nutritional value.

The team's recipes will then be tested at Shipton Mill in Tetbury, a town about 30 kilometers east of the Welsh border.

Chris Holister, a product development manager at Shipton Mill, said that while most people know whole wheat bread is better for them, many don't like the taste.

And bread makers have tried to make white bread healthier in the past, but customers didn't like the way it felt or tasted.

So the final step will be to test whether people can tell the difference between the new, healthier loaves and white bread bought from a supermarket.

If all goes well, it's hoped the new loaves could be on Britain's supermarket shelves in as little as two years.