Page 34 - FoodFocusThailand No.241 May 2026

SPECIAL
SPECIAL FOCUS FOCUS

INNOVATIVE FUNCTIONAL FLOURS:

ENHANCING HEALTHY BAKERY AS

WHEAT FLOUR ALTERNATIVES

Wheat flour is considered the primary structure and plays a crucial role in creating the unique texture and flavor
of bakery products. However, the rise in health consciousness, along with the limitations of consumers with
celiac disease or wheat intolerance, has led to the innovation of ‘Functional Flours.’ These include modified
starch, resistant starch, and pulse-based flours, which serve as alternative ingredients for producing healthy
bakery recipes—such as low-sugar and low-fat options—while maintaining sensory qualities and characteristics
nearly identical to traditional products.

Modified Starch: Functional Properties for For instance, resistant starch enhances cookie crispiness, while
Specific Applications acetylation reduces cookie expansion but improves structural strength
Native starches, such as tapioca starch, potato and breakage resistance In cakes, a suitable amount of pregelatinized
starch, and waxy rice flour, possess limitations that starch increases softness; however, excessive use may lead to reduced
negatively impact bakery quality. These include volume and a harder texture.
excessive wetness or stickiness, unstable viscosity - Enhancing Flavor Quality: During baking, numerous flavor
after cooling, and sensitivity to acidic conditions compounds are generated via the Maillard reaction but can gradually
which can compromise cake structures. Furthermore, diminish during storage. Microencapsulation using starches like
they are highly susceptible to staling caused by cyclodextrin and maltodextrin is employed to encapsulate these flavor
retrogradation. Consequently, modified starches compounds—whether formed during baking or added via spices like
are employed as functional ingredients to enhance cinnamon and ginger—preserving the flavors throughout the product’s
textural consistency and improve production shelf life.
efficiency. - Extending Shelf Life: Staling is a natural post-baking process
Starch modification can be achieved through that makes products hard, dry, and crumbly. Modified starches,
various techniques to meet specific application such as Octenyl Succinic Anhydride (OSA) and high-amylopectin starch,
needs. Chemical methods include acid treatment, help retain softness and delay staling in bread and cakes. Furthermore,
crosslinking, and oxidation, while physical microencapsulating orange essential oil with a corn starch/β-cyclodextrin
modifications—such as heat-moisture treatment, complex extends shelf life by inhibiting mold growth, such as Penicillium
pressure, or ultrasonics—are preferred for ‘Clean roqueforti and Aspergillus niger.
Label’ products. Additionally, enzymatic modification - Improving Gluten-Free Products: Physically modified resistant
is used to reduce molecular size or synthesize starch (heat-moisture treated) enhances the firmness and binding of
derivatives, such as maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, and gluten-free cookies. Moreover, chemically modified starches—including
resistant starch, thereby enhancing the functional distarch phosphate and acetylated distarch—when used at 10-20%
properties and specificity of the starch for diverse substitution, reduce hardness, improve crumb cohesion, and extend the
applications. shelf life of gluten-free bread.
Functional Benefits of Modified Starch in - Fat Replacement: Modified starch can function as a fat replacer
Bakery Products by affecting water binding, viscosity, and gelation, creating a fat-like gel
- Improving Sensory Quality: Research indicates structure. Notably, the development of semi-solid oleogels (e.g., vegetable
that the type and method of starch modification oil mixed with pregelatinized corn starch hydrogel) can replace up to 50%
significantly influence bakery characteristics. of fat in shortbread, making it ideal for low-fat bakery products.

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