Baking & Snack - June 2023 - 55

FORMULATION
Antioxidants
By choosing the right antioxidants for the product and the process,
bakers can get the most out of these anti-staling ingredients.
by Charlotte Atchley
B
Bakery products like bread, cookies, crackers, pastries
and cakes all taste best fresh off the production line,
but they must maintain that quality through transport
to their final destination. In baked goods, however,
starch begins to retrograde and ingredients like fats
and oils start to oxidize almost immediately, which will
eventually result in staling, rancidity and off-flavors.
Antioxidants can step in and hold off oxidation, ensuring
the consumer enjoys a slice of bread or cake or a
cookie the way the baker intended.
" Adding natural antioxidants to baked goods can inhibit
oxidation of fats and oils, preserving essential fatty
acids and other nutrients, improving sensory quality
and extending the shelf life of baked goods, " said Min
Hu, PhD, principal scientist and antioxidant team leader,
Corbion.
Antioxidants don't operate in a vacuum, however.
Their effectiveness can be hindered by the formulation,
the baking process, the storage conditions of the finished
product or even the ingredients themselves before
they're used.
" When it comes to storage, antioxidants can lose effectiveness
over time if exposed to light, heat, oxygen or
moisture, " said Darwin Ortiz, PhD, senior food protection
scientist, North America, IFF. " Therefore, storing
antioxidants in a cool, dry and dark place is essential to
minimize their degradation. "
Preventing this degradation until the antioxidants can
perform their critical function ensures bakers can meet
their shelf life targets while maintaining the sensory profile
consumers expect from baked goods, whether it's a
nutritious staple or decadent indulgence.
Antioxidant meets application
The first point bakers need to be aware of when considering
the efficacy of their anti-staling solutions is choosing
the right antioxidants for their specific bakery application.
There isn't really a one-size-fits-all anti-staling
solution.
" Different bakery products have
different
staling
characteristics, which means that bakers need to find
anti-staling solutions tailored to each product's specific
needs, " Dr. Ortiz explained.
A baked good's needs are influenced by many factors,
including the baking process and the storage conditions
of the finished product, but bakers should really key in
on the ingredients in the formula that will contribute to
oxidation when looking at anti-staling ingredients.
" Because ingredients containing oils and fats have differing
fatty acid profiles, they may need different natuwww.bakingbusiness.com
/ June 2023 Baking & Snack 55
Lipid oxidation rates in
frozen dough are much
lower, so antioxidant
needs are different in
these products from
the requirements of
fresh applications.
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Baking & Snack - June 2023

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