Improving high-fibre foods

Consumption of wholegrain/fibre enriched bread and other baked goods remains low despite considerable evidence linking diets rich in fibre to reduced risks of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is scope for developing new products to appeal to consumer interest in healthy products by using cereals other than wheat. Of particular interest are oats, barley and pseudocereals (such as buckwheat). Soluble fibres (e.g. arabinoxylose, ß-glucan or inulin) provide an alternative to cellulose-rich wheat bran and introduce a different set of challenges for processing. These fibres are light in colour and may be more acceptable to consumers. One of the key findings will be a clear understanding of the impact of bran components on dough water absorption and proving characteristics. Nicole Maher explains some recent findings:

"We developed a method for determining water absorption of bran and investigating the effect of water addition on loaf volume. Water holding capacities of wheat and oat bran were determined using a number of methods, including compression and centrifugal force. These showed the effects of bran and water management in dough. Oat bran held less water than wheat bran. During test baking it was demonstrated that increased water content affected dough handling, making it more difficult to process. However, no significant effect on loaf volume was observed within the range of dough consistencies used in industry. We concluded that water addition did not have a significant effect on loaf volume over the range studied. However, a slight increase in bread moisture content was observed with increasing water addition; this may also have an effect on crumb structure of the bread."

Contact: Nicole Maher
+44(0)1386 842153
nicole.maher@campdenbri.co.uk