Flour treatment agent
Encyclopedia
Flour treatment agents are food additive
s combined with flour
to improve baking functionality. There are wide ranges of these conditioners used in bakery processing, which fall into four main categories: bleaching agents, oxidizing and reducing agents, enzymes and emulsifiers.
Flour bleaching agent
s are added to flour to make it appear whiter (freshly milled flour is yellowish), to oxidize the surfaces of the flour grains, and help with developing of gluten
.
Oxidizing agents are added to flour to help with gluten
development. They may or may not also act as bleaching agents. Originally flour was naturally aged through exposure to the atmosphere. Oxidizing agents primarily affect sulphur containing amino acids that ultimalty help form a disulphide bridge between gluten molecules. The addition of these agents to flour will create a stronger dough .
Common oxidizing agents are:
Reducing agents help to weaken the flour by breaking the protein network. This will help with various aspects of handling a strong dough. The benefits of adding these agents are reduced mixing time, reduced dough elastity, reduced proofing time, and improved machinability .
Common reducing agents are:
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
s combined with flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
to improve baking functionality. There are wide ranges of these conditioners used in bakery processing, which fall into four main categories: bleaching agents, oxidizing and reducing agents, enzymes and emulsifiers.
Flour bleaching agent
Flour bleaching agent
Flour bleaching agent is a food additive added to flour in order to make it appear whiter and to oxidize the surfaces of the flour grains and help with developing of gluten.Usual bleaching agents are:...
s are added to flour to make it appear whiter (freshly milled flour is yellowish), to oxidize the surfaces of the flour grains, and help with developing of gluten
Gluten
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye...
.
Oxidizing agents are added to flour to help with gluten
Gluten
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye...
development. They may or may not also act as bleaching agents. Originally flour was naturally aged through exposure to the atmosphere. Oxidizing agents primarily affect sulphur containing amino acids that ultimalty help form a disulphide bridge between gluten molecules. The addition of these agents to flour will create a stronger dough .
Common oxidizing agents are:
- various flour bleaching agents
- azodicarbonamideAzodicarbonamideAzodicarbonamide, or azobisformamide, is a synthetic chemical with the molecular formula C2H4O2N4. It is a yellow to orange red, odorless, crystalline powder. As a food additive, it is known by the E number E927.-Use as a food additive:...
(EE numberE numbers are number codes for food additives that have been assessed for use within the European Union . They are commonly found on food labels throughout the European Union. Safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority...
927) - carbamide (E927b)
- potassium bromatePotassium bromatePotassium bromate , is a bromate of potassium and takes the form of white crystals or powder.-Uses in baking:Potassium bromate is typically used as a flour improver , strengthening the dough and allowing higher rising. It is an oxidizing agent, and under the right conditions, will be completely...
(E924, the component which gives bromated flour its name, used mainly in the midwest and east of the US, acts as a bleaching agent) - ascorbic acidAscorbic acidAscorbic acid is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. Ascorbic acid is one form of vitamin C. The name is derived from a- and scorbutus , the...
(used mainly in the western US, helps form gluten) - phosphatePhosphateA phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
s - malted barleyBarleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
- potassium iodatePotassium iodatePotassium iodate is a chemical compound. It is ionic, made up of K+ ions and IO3- ions in a 1:1 ratio.-Chemical properties:Potassium iodate is an oxidizing agent and as such it can cause fires if in contact with combustible materials or reducing agents...
Reducing agents help to weaken the flour by breaking the protein network. This will help with various aspects of handling a strong dough. The benefits of adding these agents are reduced mixing time, reduced dough elastity, reduced proofing time, and improved machinability .
Common reducing agents are:
- L-cysteine (E920, E921; quantities in the tens of ppm range help soften the dough and thus reduce processing time)
- fumeric acid
- sodium bisulphate
- non-leavened yeast
- ascorbic acid