Effect of Additive Removal on the Physicochemical Properties of Gluten-Free Bread

TL;DR

This study examines how removing additives affects the quality of gluten-free bread over time, finding that some additives are essential while others can be removed without major negative effects.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the specific roles of additives in gluten-free bread and their impact on bread quality during storage.

Findings

Removing leavening agents (monocalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate) reduced specific volume and increased crumb hardness.

Additive-free bread achieved the highest specific volume and maintained crumb structure similar to the reference bread.

Bread without MDG showed improved loaf volume without accelerating staling during storage.

Abstract

The growing demand for clean-label gluten-free bread is driving a reduction in additives, although their technological roles are not yet fully understood. This study evaluated the effect of progressively removing monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, and mono- and diglycerides (MDG) on the quality of gluten-free bread during storage. Four formulations were prepared: a reference (RF) containing all additives, and three reduced-additive versions without monocalcium phosphate (FA), without monocalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate (FB), or without any additives (FC). Specific volume, moisture, water activity, crumb structure, color, and texture were assessed on days 1, 8, 15, and 22. Additive removal significantly affected bread quality: the formulation without leavening agents (FB) showed the lowest specific volume (≈2.8 cm3/g) and the highest crumb hardness (≈38 N), whereas the additive-free formulation (FC) achieved the highest specific volume (≈3.3 cm3/g) and a crumb structure comparable to the reference bread, with a higher void fraction (≈28%). During storage, all breads exhibited increasing hardness, although FC did not stale faster than RF, likely due to its higher specific volume after baking. The results confirm that sodium bicarbonate and monocalcium phosphate are essential for gas generation and structural development, while removal of MDG improved loaf volume without intensifying deterioration.

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