Baking & Snack - September 2018 - 68

FORTIFICATION

The demand for processed foods is exceptionally high in faster-paced, developed
countries. Convenience is a key consideration
among many consumers who are less concerned with nutrition intake, according to
Jaizel Castillo, application specialist, bakery,
for DuPont Nutrition & Health. Led by this
trend, manufacturers are creating concepts
fortified with nutrients needed by our bodies.
"Vitamins and minerals, proteins, and fibers are the common means of fortification
in all sorts of bakery products - breads,
cakes, biscuits, cookies," Ms. Castillo said.
Litesse polydextrose is a soluble fiber that is
positioned as a fiber, prebiotic and specialty
carbohydrate for satiety and weight management. It allows for more concept developments that satisfy cravings for indulgence
and nutrition at the same time, she added.
While consumers may be looking to pack
more nutritional ingredients into their
baked goods, they are also looking to reduce calorie intake. Formulators can balance
those impulses through fiber fortification.
MGP Ingredients' RW, a RS4-type resistant wheat starch and a source of dietary fiber, not only boosts fiber content of bakery
products but also imparts crispiness attributes to snack crackers, sugar snap cookies
and pizza crusts, among others. A second
RS4-type resistant wheat starch in pregelatinized form, FiberRite RW, exhibits dual
functionality of fortifying bakery products
with fiber, while partially replacing fat such
as in puff pastries, cake muffins, cinnamon
rolls, brownies, sugar snap cookies and
cake icings.
"Fibersym and FiberRite also reduce caloric counts of bakery products and are
highly compatible with wheat-based products exhibiting ease of use during processing and providing excellent finished product quality scores in terms of texture, taste,
appearance, volume and aroma," said Ody
Maningat, PhD, vice-president of ingredients R&D and chief science officer for MGP.
"Both are Non-GMO Project verified and labeled as modified wheat starch."

Protein and probiotics
Consumers are turning to functional foods
to support their health and wellness, and
digestive and immune health support are

68 Baking & Snack September 2018 / www.bakingandsnack.com

A look back at fortification
About 31% of the world's industrially milled wheat
flour is fortified, according to the Food Fortification
Initiative, a global group that helps country leaders
promote, plan, implement and monitor fortification
of industrially milled flour, maize flour and rice. The
nutrients most often included are iron, zinc and the
following B vitamins: folic acid, niacin, riboflavin,
thiamin, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. These vitamins
and minerals have been shown to support life-long
health. Several prevent anemia, and folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.
"One advantage of fortification is that consumers
increase their nutrition without having to change
their eating, shopping or cooking habits," said Sarah
Zimmerman, communications coordinator for Food
Fortification Initiative.
Food fortification began in 1920 with the addition
of iodine to table salt to prevent goiter among Ohio
schoolchildren, explained Julie Garden-Robinson,
PhD, professor of North Dakota State University.
Folic acid fortification of flour and cereal, which
began in 1998, was linked with a 19% decrease in
neural tube birth defects between 1995 and 1999, according to the American Medical Association.
Julie Jones, a member of the Foods and Nutrition
and Advisory Board for the Grain Foods Foundation
(GFF), explained that fortification programs were designed to address overt deficiencies. Data show that
enrichment and fortification mean less than 12% of
the US population falls below the estimated average
requirement (EAR) for thiamin, riboflavin, folate, iron
and vitamin B6. For thiamin, 49% meet the EAR without fortificants, but 96% with them; for folate 12%
without, and 89% with them. "Sadly, a recent study
showed that the avoidance of folate-fortified grains
in women in the year prior to conception (as part
of low-carbohydrate or grain-free diets) was associated with a 30% increased risk of spina bifida and
anencephaly in the infants," Ms. Jones said. "Similar
problems could be seen with gluten-free diets as
many gluten-free foods are nutrient-poor."
Vitamin deficiency remains prevalent around
the world, especially among low-income families.
Stunted growth, heart disease and blindness are
some of the health concerns attributed to micronutrient deficiencies. "Flour is a staple that's widely consumed by a large population base, and fortifying it is
considered to be a simple, cost-effective measure to
minimize deficiencies," said Andreas Blüthner, PhD,
director of food fortification and partnerships for the
German chemical company BASF SE.

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - September 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - September 2018