Fortification of Bakery Products and its Effect on Texture

Fortification, the addition of certain bioactive or functional ingredients to food products to enhance their nutritional and therapeutic value, allows consumers to improve their nutrition without having to alter their eating habits. Bakery products are an excellent candidate for fortification. According to Euromonitor International, baked foods make up one of the largest packaged food categories, with global baked foods retail sales volume predicted to reach about 177 million tons by 2022.

Fortification was historically used to prevent malnutrition. However, it is more commonly used today to improve wellbeing and general health, thereby adding value to a manufacturer’s products. The nutrients most often included are iron, zinc and B vitamins: folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to support life-long health. Several prevent anaemia, and folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.¹

“Different age groups and lifestyles have different nutritional requirements, so it is important to know who the target consumer is before developing a concept,” said Nathan Pratt, R.&D. scientist, nutrition, Kerry Ingredients. “For example, children need iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D for optimal growth and development, but many kids do not get enough of these, so they are great candidates for fortification into foods kids eat frequently.” ²

The alteration or addition of ingredients frequently affects a product’s textural characteristics. There have been countless publications of research into the use of fortification in the bakery industry using Texture Analysers, in both academic and industrial settings. Some examples of the most recent research are outlined below.

Scientists from the University of KwaZulu-Natal have been researching the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on the physical quality, nutritional composition and consumer acceptability of white and brown breads. Fortifying popular, affordable, but nutrient-limited staple foods, such as bread, with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) could contribute significantly to addressing under-nutrition, especially protein and mineral deficiencies, which are particularly prevalent among a large proportion of populations in sub-Saharan African countries. The current study aimed to determine the effect of MOLP on the physical quality, nutritional composition and consumer acceptability of white and brown breads. The texture, colour and nutritional composition of white and brown bread samples substituted with 5% and 10% (w/w) MOLPs were analysed using standard methods and compared with the control (0% MOLP). They used their TA.XT2 Plus Texture Analyser to perform compression tests. A consumer panel evaluated the acceptability of the bread. Under the experimental conditions of the current study, it seems that the bread containing 5% MOLP can be used to contribute significantly to addressing malnutrition, with respect to protein deficiency. Read more

Researchers from Shoolini University have been investigating the effect of taro enrichment on the physicochemical and textural properties of cake. Taro is a plant widely produced in tropical areas for its underground corms and it is used mainly as a vegetable. Its physicochemical, sensory properties and health benefits led to its use in value-added products. The cake is a high value-added bakery product and it needs a lower amount of gluten protein. Therefore, taro flour (TF) was supplemented in wheat flour (WF) at different levels. In connection with this, the incorporation of taro flour into wheat-based products has been reported to increase their nutritional and textural quality. They used their TA.HDplus Texture Analyser to perform compression tests. The taro-supplemented cake showed higher mineral and fibre content, however, reduced caloric value. Taro cake had improved texture and sensory characteristics in comparison to wheat cake. It can be concluded that addition of taro for cake preparation improves nutrition and quality characteristics Therefore, it can be recommended to use taro for cake preparation. Read more

Scientists from Jiangsu Vocational College of Agriculture and Forestry have been researching nutritional, antioxidant and quality characteristics of novel cookies enriched with mushroom flour. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of incorporating varying proportions of nutraceutical-rich mushroom (Cordycepes militaris) flour (1%, 3% and 5%) on the physicochemical, antioxidant and sensory properties of cookies. They used their TA.XT2i Texture Analyser to measure cookie hardness. Results showed that the contents of crude protein, ash and fibre of supplemented cookies were higher than that of control cookies. Spread ratio and hardness decreased as the C.militaris flour incorporation level increased. The colour values of cookies also varied with the increasing levels of C. militaris flour. Furthermore, fortification of C. militaris flour improved the functional quality of cookies by significantly enhancing the phenolic contents and antioxidant activities (P < 0.05). Overall, enriched cookies have more functional components and effective antioxidant capacity than plain wheat cookies. Their supplementation could provide the consumers a novel cereal-based product with health-promoting benefits. Find out more

Scientists from Universiti Teknologi MARA have been researching the development of a healthy cookie to promote toddlers' brain development (brainy bites). This study aims to develop a healthy cookie designed for toddlers. “Brainy Bites” was developed by incorporating ingredients that are linked with healthy brain development and improved cognitive function in early childhood. Physical analysis done on Brainy Bites indicated that the developed cookie had 0.5 cm thickness, 3.7 cm width, 7.4 spread ratio, 18.18% bake loss and 1392.4 g hardness, respectively - they used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform hardness measurements. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the nutrient contents of Brainy Bites and the two cookies that were compared in which Brainy Bites contains significantly higher amount of crude protein, crude fibre and ash content. Brainy Bites will serve as a great snack for toddlers at home, nurseries or for travelling. The cookie will be accepted in the market and would be a better choice of snack for toddlers as it contains no added sugar and salt, and contains ingredients such as raisins, almonds and chia seeds that may help in the brain development among toddlers. Read more

Scientists from the College of Horticulture, Bagalkot, have been researching the utilisation of pineapple pomace powder as a functional ingredient in bread. The study on utilisation of pineapple pomace powder (PPP) and defatted soyabean flour (DSF) in bread was undertaken to upgrade the nutritional quality, as well as fibre enhancement. The bread was prepared from composite flours by incorporating 5.0g to 10g of pineapple pomace powder with corresponding 5g of soyabean flour into all-purpose flour. The bread was analysed for their physical properties, chemical composition and sensory properties. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform texture measurements. Loaf weight increased from 180.22 to 186.32g, loaf volume and specific volume decreased from 879.96 cc to 689.66 cc and 4.88 to 3.72 cc/g with increase of PPP in blends. With increase in the concentration of PPP there was an increase in fibre content and the bread supplemented with 5% PPP was found to be more acceptable. Read more

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research have been investigating protein enrichment of wheat bread with the marine green microalgae Tetraselmis chuii and the effect on dough rheology and bread quality. Marine green microalgae are a sustainable source of high-quality protein. However, due to their green pigmentation and composition of volatiles, their incorporation into food products is a challenge. Incorporation of cell-wall disrupted Tetraselmis chuii (Tc) into bread (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16% wheat flour substitution) affected dough rheology and bread quality negatively. These effects were more pronounced at addition levels necessary for a EFSA nutrition claim on protein enrichment (12 and 16%). Treatment of Tc with ethanol not only removed much of the green pigmentation and volatiles, but also reduced the negative impact on dough rheology and bread quality. They used their TA.XT2 Texture Analyser to measure crumb firmness. Ethanol treatment of algae may be a feasible strategy to address the sensory and structural challenges that hinder incorporation of algae into foods at levels that can potentially confer nutritional benefits. Read more

Texture Analysis is a mandatory stage in the Research and Development of fortified bakery products, when texture can be altered by the addition of different quantities of ingredients, and must be measured after each iteration of ingredient or process modifications. 

¹  https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/47115-a-brief-history-of-food-fortification
²  https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/48948-the-formulators-guide-to-enrichment-and-fortification

 

There is a Texture Analysis test for virtually any physical property. Contact Stable Micro Systems today to learn more about our full range of solutions.

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