Better Bread Through Fiber Fortification

Today’s consumers increasingly understand that fiber is an important aspect of their daily diet. Both soluble and insoluble fibers make distinct healthful contributions. For example, many soluble fibers have been clinically proven to be good prebiotics, while others can help lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, helps move bowel bulk through the intestines in regular fashion to help prevent constipation. Studies have shown that high fiber intake is associated with a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004; 164:370-6).

Product developers have successfully fortified a wide range of foods, including bread, with fiber for a number of years. However, challenges always arose when attempting to fortify bread with soluble fiber while maintaining the bread’s gluten structure and properly managing water absorption. To that end, TIC Gums developed TIC Pretested® Ticaloid ® LC-SR5, a blend of gums designed to boost the soluble fiber content in a variety of applications, including baked goods like bread.

The company developed the right combination of gums— which includes inulin, guar and methylcellulose—that permits a high loading of soluble fiber, alone or in combination with insoluble fiber, in bread formulas. The company designed the gum blend to behave like the nonprotein fraction of wheat flour, an important factor when working with vital wheat gluten. The blend does not interfere with gluten development or strength, and was designed with the same resulting viscosity and degree of water absorption as flour in mind. The gum blend can replace any type of flour—including whole-grain types—as long as the protein, or gluten, is added back to compensate for the portion lost from the replaced flour. In one test recipe, the company replaced 20% of the flour in bread with a combination of the gum blend, Ticacel 100-S (cellulose powder) and wheat gluten, while also including 20% insoluble fiber (based on flour weight). The resultant bread is soft, has good volume and structure, and delivers a moist mouthfeel.

“It may be used with or without added cellulose powder and gluten, depending on the product,” says Mar Nieto, Ph.D., senior principal scientist. “In bread and dough products that need elasticity for kneading and structure, cellulose powder and gluten need to be added in conjunction with the Ticaloid LC-SR5.”

Most commercial fiber-fortified breads contain 5 to 8 grams of total fiber per slice, and the bread fortified with Ticaloid® LC-SR5 and cellulose provides approximately 4 grams soluble dietary fiber and 4 grams insoluble fiber per slice. Fortification levels up to 8 grams of soluble fiber and 8 grams of insoluble fiber were also achieved without compromising typical processing parameters.

Although the gum blend was primarily designed to replace the starch in flour, it can also replace part of the other carbohydrate ingredients, like starch or sugar, in products like cookies and some other non-kneaded baked goods, notes Nieto. In such applications, “it can be used without cellulose powder and gluten at desired functional doses,” he says.

TIC Gums, Inc.
4609 Richlynn Drive Belcamp, MD 21017 
Phone: 800/899-3953 410/273-7300
Fax: 410/273-6469 
E-mail: [email protected]