Baking & Snack - March 2010 - 56

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BAKING & SNACK / For
March
2010information, see Page 121
more

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FATS & OILS

Buying an off-the-shelf product may be the only option for
some bakers, but large bakers should consider customized
products, advised Mr. Lawrence. "If the vendor can customize the shortening, then it will be easier for the baker to meet
his specific needs," he said.
MANAGING MATERIALS. Shortenings developed to be
no-trans, no-hydro and low-sat can challenge the storage
and handling methods at bakeries, as well as the distribution systems of suppliers.
"The first thing we learned, when we removed fully
hydrogenated fats, was you must be careful with shipping
and storage conditions," Mr. Lawrence said.
Traditional hydrogenated fats had considerable tolerance in storage and handling conditions, he explained.
With zero-trans, non-hydro products, the temperature
range narrows considerably.
"Some process variations such as mixing time also can
change," Mr. Lawrence added. "Some palm oil blends actually have improved creaming properties over hydrogenated shortenings, so mixing times may need adjusting."
The addition of hard fats raises the solids levels of notrans, no-hydro, low-sat shortenings. "Higher solids at
room temperatures contribute to the ability of the dough
system to withstand plant temperature stress during formulation, blending, sheeting and baking," Mr. Daniels
said. "This higher degree of solids must be minimized at
consumer consumption temperatures to ensure that the
finished product does not impart a waxy mouthfeel."
COMMUNICATIONS POLICY. With so many shortenings suitable for health-and-wellness products now on
the market, choosing the best one for the application requires good communications between formulator, baker
and supplier. Mr. Lawrence posed questions to start the
dialog: "What is the application?" he asked. "Must trans
fats be eliminated? Is the word 'hydrogenated' on the label an issue? Are the sources of oils limited by customer/
consumer expectations? What are the goals? What are
the limiting factors?
"As an ingredient supplier, we need to understand the
customer's application, his process and the labeling requirements, as well as the nutritional profile desired," he continued. "Good communications up front are important when
developing a customized product."
More than many bakery ingredients, shortening tends
to present a moving target. The shift from animal to
vegetable sources, the adoption and abandonment of
hydrogenation, the choice of highly technical omega-3
oils - Mr. Fine summarized conditions well by noting,
"The situation in shortenings continues to evolve."
"We evaluate our shortenings all the time," Mr. Lawrence observed. "Tweaking and reformulation efforts
depend on the bakers and their needs."
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Baking & Snack - March 2010

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