Naturally present in baking ingredients, enzymes play an important role in food processing.
Inspired by nature, modern solutions developed with enzymes mark the silver lining between goals coming from the R&D laboratory, restraints coming from the bakery facility and the tastes and experiences consumer prefers.
The demand for softer breads that stay fresh longer is not new. Egyptians added oil and honey to their breads to achieve this. Later, ingredients like fat, eggs and sugar were used to create a softer crumb that would stay fresh longer. Until the beginning of the previous century, the most common ingredient that was added to breads was barley flour, resulting in a softer bread with a longer shelf life. French chemist Anselme Payen discovered in 1833 that there were enzymes present in barley, which broke down starches in the flour into sugars for the yeast to consume. This inspired bakers and biotechnologists to get a better understanding of the use of enzymes in bread.
Enzymes, produced by fermentation, are present in every living organism and naturally present in flour, yeast and bakery ingredients. In modern days, nature inspires Puratos to look for the best fitting enzymes that make bread stay fresh and soft while offering a texture experience for consumers.
Today, the most common driver for the usage of enzymes in baked goods is refining texture. According to Evelien Agache, Director of Business Unit Bakery Improvers & Mixes at Puratos, this implies improving:
+ The strength, tolerance & workability of the dough
+ The volume of baked goods
+ The freshness and shelf-life of baked goods
+ Process optimization, to minimize waste in production
Puratos aims to meet the consumer demand for clean(er) label by utilizing the benefits of enzymes. Here are the most common ‘better-for-you’ claims the specialist lists:
+ Enzymes offer the opportunity to create excellent baking products with a shorter and clearer ingredient list; Enzymes are proteins, produced by fermentation, present in every living organism and naturally present in wheat, flour and yeast. Enzymes are denaturated during the baking process and as a result, are not functional in the bread sold to final consumers.
+ Fat reduction: certain enzymes can lower fat contents without compromising on the softness and texture of the baked goods.
Enzymes deliver a range of functional benefits in baked goods, such as wholegrain bakery products, which are fast gaining traction among health-conscious consumers. When it comes to better-for-you claims, bakery manufacturers are increasingly searching for enzymes to reduce levels of sugar, fat, salt and acrylamide, as well as options to replace ascorbic acid. Additionally, they are now also seeking out enzymes that help lower levels of FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) to promote good digestive health.
Putting enzymes to good work
Enzymes will only work on the substrate they can interact with. Some enzymes work on the gluten network, others will interact with the starch, lipids, all present in the flour. They are sensitive to temperature and when heated above a certain temperature for an amount of time, they become ‘denatured’ – no longer functional on the final product. Puratos shares an interesting example in this regard: a unique, new family of xylanase enzymes was discovered in an expedition to the Antarctic. Coming from a cold region, these enzymes have optimal activity at much lower temperatures compared to regular enzymes. This means that their strength and tolerance properties will come into play even in cold doughs. Puratos Intens Strength is made with this enzyme, making it especially suited for improvers in frozen bakery and related applications.
Better-for-you and good, too
Maintaining dough elasticity, volume and texture in healthier products is the result of understanding the science behind the enzymes and knowledge in combining them. Depending on the type and quantity of enzymes combined, Puratos can manage the texture and volume for the different types of baked goods: for instance, a certain combination of enzymes could provide superior sheeting characteristics to the dough, supporting the creation of layered products. Some enzymes, like Puratos Intens Strength, include the qualities to deliver tolerance to the fermented dough and a great shelf-life in freezing temperatures.
Enzymes also provide manufacturers with the means to reformulate bakery products to have lower fat or sugar contents. For example, Puratos Puraslim contains a patented enzyme found in Yellowstone National Park that can provide a more pleasant short bite by being active during the baking process of the breads. Puratos researchers discovered this enzyme and its ability to improve the texture of bread through its Innovation Inspired by Nature approach, which focuses on enzymes as a natural resource in developing better-for-you bakery solutions. This technology helps to reduce up to 50% of in-dough solid fat in sweet breads and pastries without compromising on texture or taste. This latest innovation can be applied to rich applications, such as brioches and other kinds of sweet buns, Agache (Puratos) notes.
New developments
Puratos knows that enzymes are key for delivering all of the benefits bakers are seeking, including the clean(er) label trends for the big industrial bakery players. Health and well-being are some of the key priorities for the specialist. “Our latest innovations contain gluten-free mixes and organic improvers for soft baked goods.”
An important aspect in the work to perfect enzymes is having them meet specific requests, so specific that only the manufacturer who needs it can make the most out of it. To achieve this, collaboration is a must. Puratos worked with one of the biggest brioche producers in Europe, for example, on finding the solution that could help with two things: make the end product healthier and better for the end consumer and make sure it counts towards a nutriscore improvement on the front of pack labeling. “Puratos Puraslim was the perfect solution for that challenge. We have developed an improved nutriscore product with reduced fat and calories, without impact on the texture of the final product. On top of that, the customer could still keep the ‘pure butter’ claim while reducing the recipe cost,” Agache illustrates.
Enzymes support sustainability
Enzymes contribute to reducing waste through freshness retention. “Bread is one of the highest food waste categories; we have seen that a large amount of bread is wasted throughout the supply chain,” Puratos illustrates. For example, according to an article by NRC Handelsblad, 25% of all bread in the Netherlands ends up being discarded. “If we can extend the shelf-life with freshness enzymes solutions, it can surely help to reduce the waste,” is the conclusion from Puratos.
Enzymes boost process efficiency, which results in lower energy consumption: “For example, our enzyme solution Double Bake Color, an enzyme solution specially designed for parbaked bread, can reduce the bake-off time up to 60% resulting in energy savings,” adds Puratos.
