The integration of new flour correctors into the wheat-to-bakery product pipeline represents a significant leap forward in addressing wheat quality challenges and meeting the evolving demands of the bakery industry. By enhancing wheat quality, improving nutritional profiles, and enabling the creation of specialized bakery products, flour correctors are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in bakery innovation.

Faruk Biren
Co-Founder | Bakeground

Wheat holds a significant place among the world’s top three grains, along with rice and corn, in terms of its importance in production and human consumption. Its popularity stems from its ability to adapt to various soil types and climate conditions, as well as its capability to produce a variety of bakery products, including our staple food, bread. The quality of wheat flour, as the main component of humanity’s staple food like bread, is of great importance. It is not surprising that bakers prioritize high and consistent quality flour; it is a necessity.

When there is a shortage of wheat with the required quality or fluctuations in wheat prices occur, the production of standard quality flour becomes challenging. To enhance the quality of products derived from wheat and meet the dynamic demands of consumers, innovative solutions are always needed. Innovative developments in enzyme technology serve as a beacon of hope, offering promising solutions to various problems in wheat quality and paving the way for new trends in bakery products.

THE WHEAT QUALITY CONUNDRUM

Wheat, the backbone of a myriad of bakery products, faces numerous quality challenges stemming from environmental stressors, pest infestations, and disease. These challenges can lead to inconsistencies in wheat’s protein content, gluten strength, and overall grain integrity, directly impacting the flour’s baking properties and the quality of the final bakery products. As consumer expectations for high-quality, nutritious, and diverse bakery items grow, the industry has turned to enzyme technology for solutions.

The most dangerous one is also; Genetic Factors:

Our industry still labels wheat based on its protein content, but what about its composition and quality, even if the protein quantity remains the same? 

Wheat varieties differ in their genetic potential for yield, disease resistance, and quality attributes such as grain hardness, protein content, and gluten strength. The choice of variety can significantly impact the quality of wheat produced. Historically, some breeding programs have prioritized yield over quality characteristics, potentially leading to varieties that meet production goals but fall short in quality parameters important for milling and baking.

Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort among farmers, researchers, millers, and other stakeholders in the wheat value chain. Advances in agricultural practices, breeding techniques, and technology can help mitigate some of these challenges, ensuring the consistent production of high-quality wheat to meet global needs.

FLOUR CORRECTOR SOLUTIONS TO WHEAT QUALITY CHALLENGES

Flour Correctors play a crucial role in flour production by providing millers with versatile tools to control and enhance flour quality. They are used for specific rheological modifications, standardization of enzyme activity, addressing fluctuations in raw material quality, and optimizing the milling process. The introduction of new correctors into the wheat milling and baking processes presents a sustainable and efficient method to counteract quality issues:

ENHANCING WHEAT FLOUR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE

Consistent Quality:

Flour correctors help millers produce high-quality flour consistently, meeting the diverse needs of various applications in the baking, biscuit, pasta industries, and other flour-based products.

Adaptability:

They allow millers to adapt their grist to variations in crop quality, climate conditions, wheat availability, and prices, ensuring consistent quality and performance.

Cost Management:

Flour correctors enable flexibility in raw material sourcing, reducing costs by allowing the use of alternative qualities or locally sourced grains. They help balance raw material variations caused by climate and harvesting conditions, reduced fertilizer usage, and implementation of novel wheat varieties.

Improved Dough Rheology and Baking Performance: 

Flour correctors improve dough rheology, leading to better baking performance. The right combinations of enzymes and ascorbic acid optimize the different quality flours for bread that is produced through process stages that vary according to country conditions and consumer consumption habits, biscuit, cracker, wafer, pasta, and noodle production.

While the role of flour correctors in the standardization and improvement of flour quality is unquestionable, they are also the major supporters of trends in bakery products.

CATALYZING NEW BAKERY TRENDS 

Beyond addressing wheat quality issues, novel enzymes are at the forefront of innovating bakery products to align with emerging consumer trends:

The Rise of Whole Grains and Ancient Grains: 

The increasing interest of consumers in nutrition and healthy living has boosted the popularity of whole grains and ancient grains in baked goods. These grains, known for their health benefits, require flours that preserve nutrient profiles, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. As a result, millers face the challenge of producing not only flours that preserve these nutrients but also ensure the desired baking performance and sensory characteristics of the final product.

Gluten-Free Products:

With the increasing sensitivity to gluten and the prevalence of celiac disease, flour enhancer solutions are used to improve the texture and volume of gluten-free bakery products, making them more delicious and similar to their gluten-containing counterparts.

Artisanal and Clean Label Preferences: 

The traditional bakery movement and the demand for clean label products emphasize the use of natural and minimally processed ingredients. In traditional baking, flour quality is crucial because the focus is on achieving specific textures and flavors through traditional methods. This trend has revitalized interest in heritage wheat varieties and milling techniques that produce flours with unique characteristics, further diversifying flour quality requirements.

Nutrient-Enhanced Baked Goods:

Enzymes are being explored to increase the nutritional value of bakery products, such as enhancing the antioxidant properties or fiber content, catering to the health-conscious consumer.

WHERE ARE WE IN THIS MATTER, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

Aware of our role as a bridge among all stakeholders playing a crucial role in the production of flour from wheat and the delivery of bakery products meeting the targeted quality specifications to the end consumer, we are committed to continuing our solution-oriented and innovative efforts. 

Our strong communication with all stakeholders and market insight enable us to effectively and efficiently understand and uncover needs, as well as deliver these insights to stakeholders. 

The innovative efforts we have undertaken with different approaches in wheat blend (%1 low protein content) compositions and bread production recipes (30-50% sugar reduction - providing a longer shelf life) have resulted in innovative solutions. These solutions have enabled us to achieve maximum performance from accessible raw material sources and gain advantages in production raw material costs.

CONCLUSION 

The integration of new flour correctors into the wheat-to-bakery product pipeline represents a significant leap forward in addressing wheat quality challenges and meeting the evolving demands of the bakery industry. By enhancing wheat quality, improving nutritional profiles, and enabling the creation of specialized bakery products, flour correctors are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in bakery innovation. As research and development in enzyme technology continue to advance, the future of bakery products looks promising, with flour improvers and new enzymes playing a central role in crafting the next generation of healthy, diverse, and delicious baked goods.