Johannesburg - Joburg’s bread supply has just got healthier and cheaper. Yesterday, the City of Joburg launched Jozi bread, a new brand of bread that uses flour processed from mangos instead of wheat.
Belinda Ratyana, one of the 70 trained bakers of the Jozi bread, eagerly told The Star about the benefits that will come with switching from regular bread to consuming mango bread.
We dont use sugar or salt at all, not even a pinch. This is the healthiest option, great for people with diabetes and high blood pressure, and people trying to lose weight.
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The mango flour also has polyphenols that are anti-ageing and anti-cancer agents.
There is wholewheat bread that has been a healthier option but for most people it is unaffordable. Even regular bread is expensive.
Joburg mayor Parks Tau visited Pimville Zone 3, where the first bakery specialising in mango flour products was opened yesterday. In his speech he said Joburg, in conjunction with the Department of Health, had conducted in-depth research to see how they could help poor communities lead healthier lives.
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In 2011, we did a lot of research on communities and what they needed. An over-arching challenge that we wanted to deal with was premature mortality due to diseases such as diabetes. The city aims to expand from its seven bakeries, set up in seven regions in Joburg, to supplying big supermarkets. The retail price for the mango bread is R7.50.”
Delighted Pimville resident Matshidiso Motaung said: “It tastes delicious. This bread is really going to help people who are unemployed. It makes it easier to afford to feed your family.”