Baking & Snack - December 2006 - 81

Practical Probiotics
With the dairy industry leading the way, many food processors are exploring the addition
of probiotics to everyday foods. Could bakery be next?
Probiotics are beneficial bacterial cultures that exist in the human intestine. They aid
the digestion process and promote gastrointestinal health by inhibiting the activity of
pathogenic microorganisms. Most of the probiotics available to American consumers come
in the form of dietary supplements or pharmaceutical products, and among conventional
food products, yogurt leads the probiotics way.
Last year, Lallemand, Montreal, QB, launched a multiple-year program to evaluate probiotics
applications in cereal-grain products. Known to be temperature-sensitive organisms, probiotics
surprised researchers. And some bakery applications are in retail test markets now, including a
wrap product.
"Specifically, we are working to get the probiotics to survive the baking process and
survive shelf life to reach the consumer," said Jim Kopp, Lallemand's marketing and sales
specialist assigned to this project.
"We are erasing many myths about probiotics in baking industry applications," he stated.
"We were told that viability would be the biggest issue, yet we found applications that really
did work. That's what comes of looking at the subject with fresh eyes and no bias."
The key? "You must consider the matrix," Mr. Kopp said. "And you and the customer
have to be on the same page when defining probiotics and what you expect to
accomplish." In general, the applications that work best are those with low water activity,
low sugar content and short bake times. It's also important that they be stored at
refrigerated, rather than ambient, temperatures.
The company's Provitae line of probiotics covers a number of strains. These were
commercialized with different scientific studies, according to Mr. Kopp. "There is high
interest in the baking industry," he observed, "but bakers want good solid science
behind it."

life of about three weeks, according to
Minn-Dak Yeast, Wahpeton, ND.
Yeast manufacturers pass cream
yeast through filters to remove water, yielding compressed yeast with
a solids level of approximately 30%.
It comes in crumbled (bagged) and
block forms and is moist to the touch.
It should always be stored at temperatures of 35 to 45°F, and it is best used
within three weeks of manufacture.
Active dry yeast finds use where
storage stability and convenience are
important. It must be hydrated before
use. "Instant" or high-active forms of
dry yeast do not require separate rehydration and are always packed under
vacuum or modified-atmosphere conditions. Developed by Red Star Yeast
for use without modified-atmosphere
packaging, a protected form of instant
dry yeast includes sorbitan monostearate and BHA to extend its shelf life in
packaged bakery and pizza mixes.
And because yeast cells contain 50%
protein as well as a mixture of enzymes

84 / BAKING & SNACK / December 2006

and flavor precursors, inactive yeast
often finds its way into formulas for
many foods, not just bread and rolls.
These microorganisms also are capable
of absorbing minerals during fermentation and retaining these nutrients. For
example, Institut Rosell/Lallemand,
Montreal, QB, reports availability of
inactive yeast enriched with selenium,
chromium, zinc, copper, molybdenum,
magnesium, iron, manganese or iodine
as well as vitamin B12.
Interest in yeast for additional functional roles such as a potential source of
dough conditioning enzymes was noted
by Bill McKeown, vice-president of
marketing, Fleischmann's, a Division of
AB Mauri Foods, Inc., Fenton, MO. "In
essence, yeast is a 'large cocktail of enzymes,'" he observed. "Efforts to propagate or manipulate the growth process so
that greater expression of bakers yeast's
enzymes are being considered."

FROZEN AND SWEET
When it comes to applications for bak-

ers yeast, current product development attention turns to frozen doughs
and sweet goods, with frozen sweet
goods a particular focus.
"We are always looking to improve
the performance of our bakers yeast
because baking is becoming a more
specialized industry," said Mike Lavallee, president, USA Yeast, Hattiesburg, MS. His company and others are
looking at yeast strains that stand up
to the high-sugar and low-temperature applications.
Ric Mercuri, National Yeast, Milwaukee, WI, confirmed this interest and said,
"We're looking at things to enhance the
value of yeast to the baker, for example,
fresh yeast forms for frozen dough and
sweet dough applications."
Why the special needs? It is well
known that yeast fermentation is retarded in the presence of high concentrations of sugar (or salt) due to the
high osmotic pressure gradient created outside the yeast cell, according
to an analysis provided by Minn-Dak
on its www.dakotayeast.com Web site.
A measurable decline in fermentation
rate is observed if the concentration of
sugar exceeds 5%.
Acting on this need, Fleischmann's
introduced Bakers Best fresh yeast
earlier this year for production of frozen dough. "Frozen dough is a growth
market," observed Paul Bright, Fleischmann's bakery scientist. Recent
trends in new products emphasize
Danish and croissants. These doughs
are typically high in sugar and delicate
in structure, thus changing the conditions for the leavening system. Bakers
Best yeast has the capacity to produce
longer shelf life under these conditions as well as low-sugar dough.
"Standard yeast works fine in frozen bread doughs," Mr. Bright continued. "But for high-end items such
as Danish and croissants, the baker
needs improved yeast activity, initially during mixing and later in the
freezer to assure the shelf life of the
frozen product and the finished baked

http://www.dakotayeast.com

Baking & Snack - December 2006

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