Page 54 - FoodFocusThailand No.245 September 2026

STRATEGIC R & D

can be consumed in daily life, and becoming a challenging Challenges in the Industrial Development
question for product developers to design formulations and of Bakery Products Based on the
processes to achieve “better health, while maintaining taste “Guilt-Free Bakery” Concept
and repeat appeal.” Bakery product development based on the “Guilt-Free
Bakery” concept is not merely a temporary health trend
The Science Behind Healthy Bakery Products: but represents a new direction for the whole bakery
Deliciousness Without Losing Quality industry. The industry is increasingly seeking to balance
Formulation adjustments all affect the food matrix, including nutritional value, sensory quality, production costs, and
structure, moisture, texture, volume, and flavor. Relying on industrial manufacturability. Changes in the composition
new ingredients and technologies to help in bakery product and proportion of certain ingredients can affect product
development under the “Guilt-Free Bakery” concept, such as quality, including structure, texture, color, flavor, and
using isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) as a primary sweetener moisture content. Therefore, future approaches should
together with sourdough can help promote the accumulation focus on formulation development by applying high-
of sweetening substances during fermentation. Enzymes potential ingredients, such as dietary fiber, plant-based
such as amyloglucosidase or fructosidase can also convert proteins, modified starches, low-GI ingredients, and
polysaccharides in flour into sugars within the bread matrix. low- or reduced-calorie sweeteners, together with food
These approaches can reduce sucrose content in bread by up structuring technologies that can replace the functions of
to 50% without reducing sweetness intensity. However, using these components without compromising product quality.
either approach alone may not be sufficient to maintain the An intriguing question is how the Thai bakery industry
desired sweetness intensity in reduced-sugar bread (Sahin can leverage the strengths of local raw materials
et al., 2019; Müller et al., 2021), as illustrated in Figures 2 and agricultural by-products, such as Thai rice flour,
and 3. In addition, using sourdough and enzymes not only bananas, coconuts, and indigenous legumes, to further
helps maintain sweetness and texture, but also helps extend develop the Guilt-Free Bakery concept with a distinctive
shelf life and meets clean label trends. identity while incorporating sustainability. Can the new
In addition to reducing sugar content, the development generation of researchers to develop formulations that
of Guilt-Free Bakery products also focuses on lowering the simultaneously address health, taste/flavor, and the context
glycemic index (GI) to support blood glucose control and of Thai consumption culture? The time has come for Thai
reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). researchers and entrepreneurs to work together to create
Key approaches cover choosing flour and grain types, the “bakery of the future”—combining deliciousness, better
using legume flours, applying fermentation technology health, and sustainability in every bite.
and production processes, selecting sweeteners, and
fortifying functional ingredients. For example, bread
formulated with 70% whole-wheat flour, 5% defatted coconut
flour, 10% defatted soybean flour, and 14% tapioca flour
gives a GI of only 41.62 while achieving sensory acceptance More Information Service Info C008
scores comparable to those of white bread (Bertrand et al.,
2026). Meanwhile, Naveed et al. (2021) reported that bakery
made from grains usually has a GI of about 55–80, whereas
legume-based products have a lower GI at about 40–50. This
information reflects the potential of appropriate formulation
design and raw material selection to create a balance between
nutritional value, GI, and consumption quality, which is a
key principle in the development of modern healthy bakery
products (Figure 4). Consistent with these findings, Lange et
al. (2024) reported that bread products containing a mix of rye,
oats, buckwheat flour combined with sourdough starter, and
plant oilseeds help lower the glycemic index. The addition,
plant oilseeds and sourdough to bread also helps reduce blood
glucose levels approximately one hour after consumption.
However, GI directly depends on the amount of available
carbohydrate consumed.

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