Baking & Snack - July 2010 - 48

SPECIALTY INGREDIENTS

turned them onto rosemary extract," Mr. Jonas said. "They
were able to naturally extend shelf life simply by adding this
one ingredient to the formula. And they were pleasantly
surprised that this was accomplished without the use of
modified atmosphere packaging."
A SWEET SOLUTION. It doesn't matter whether the media reports surrounding high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
are true or not. Consumers don't have favorable perception of glucose corn syrup. As a result, formulators have
been trying aggressively to remove HFCS from product
formulations, but finding an effective and economical
substitute is not always easy.
Bakers have been using HFCS 42 (approximately
42% fructose, 50% glucose and 8% other carbohydrate,
on a dry basis) for many years. Not only does HFCS 42
provide a desirable fructose-glucose balance in terms of
sweetness (similar to sucrose) and solids (the syrup is
71% solids), it is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water
from its surroundings. Thus, HFCS functions as a humectant by maintaining a moist consistency in baked
foods and helping extend shelf life.
HFCS is also fermentable. In other words, it functions as
a food source for yeast in certain baked foods.
Because HFCS is relatively inexpensive and extremely
functional, replacement can be challenging, depending on
the application. Bakers are seeking out non-traditional ingredients to assist them with this task.
"At this year's IFT Food Expo, we are launching a new
chicory root fiber ingredient. It is a 75%-solids syrup that
behaves very similarly to HFCS," said Scott Turowski,
technical manager, Sensus America, Inc., Lawrenceville,
NJ. "And it comes with extra benefits because it is 75%
soluble fiber, on a dry basis.
"So not only can a baker
use it as a direct replacement
for all of the HFCS in a formulation, with minimal, if
any, other formula adjustments required, the new allnatural inulin syrup boosts
fiber content while reducing
calorie content because it is
delivers only 2.1 Cal per g,"
Mr. Turowski noted. "With
approximately 65% the sweetness of sucrose, the ingredient
provides solids, functions as
a humectant and is fermentable, just like HFCS."
◀ Inulin syrup can cut calories up to
16% in oatmeal cookies, while adding
5 g of fiber to each 30-g cookie.

BAKING & SNACK / July 2010

Doug Allen, regional sales manager at Sensus added, "It
appears on ingredient statements as 'chicory root fiber,' thus,
it also provides a consumer-friendly way to replace less
desirable ingredients." Like other inulin ingredients, it is on
the National List of Approved Substances for organic foods
in the National Organic Program administered by the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mr. Allen explained the inulin syrup helped an oatmeal cookie manufacturer reduce calorie content by
16%, fat content by 22% and total sugars by 33%, while
adding 5 g of fiber to a 30-g cookie that was previously
void of dietary fiber. "Appropriate content claims can be
made on package labels," he said.
REPLACING GLUTEN. Many bakers want to offer a
gluten-free option for the growing number of consumers
who are eliminating gluten from their diet. Creating highquality, gluten-free baked foods is not easy because gluten
has many important properties and finding a suitable replacement has been a significant challenge.
An innovative option is now available from Dow Wolff
Cellulosics, a business unit of The Dow Chemical, Co., Midland, MI. The product can actually enhance food, providing
moistness throughout shelf life, preventing collapse during
baking and avoiding the gas or bloating effects associated
with many other sources of fiber, according to the company.
American Key Food Products, Closter, NJ, is rolling out
a natural cassava flour as a substitute for wheat flour, which
enables the production of a number of gluten-free baked
foods with virtually the same taste, texture, crumb and baking characteristics as those made with wheat. Made from
cassava root, the cassava flour is produced through a proprietary manufacturing process that yields an ingredient with
superior baking properties, the company states. Unlike most
formulations for gluten-free baked foods, which are composed of several types of flours and starches, a wide range of
high-quality baked foods can be made using only this cassava
flour in place of wheat flour. This simplifies formulation and
production, reduces the need for inventorying ingredients
and simplifies label declaration. In tests with various types of
baked foods, the new cassava flour also exhibited enhanced
moisture retention characteristics, reducing the amount of
flour needed in some cases versus wheat flour.
"Our product is unique because it behaves like flour,"
said Carter Foss, technical sales director at American Key
Food Products. "Being cassava-based also means it has significant starch content and acquires some of the important
attributes of a starch. Unlike other similar flours and starches on the market, the product is made through a unique
manufacturing process, which we have invested over a year
in developing and testing. Our process enables this flour to
manifest a taste profile, as well as other organoleptic properties and functionalities that closely approximate the qualities of wheat flour. This has resulted in a cassava flour that

Baking & Snack - July 2010

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