Baking&Snack - April 2012 - 70

FLAVORS

Yeasty notes

Baked foods manufacturers continue to be challenged with removing gluten from their products because the protein gluten is found in all forms of wheat (including durum, semolina and spelt), rye, barley, and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut. In leavened products (either chemical or yeast raised), gluten combines with water to produce an elastic and porous web that traps gas bubbles released by action of a leavening agent. Gluten makes the dough or batter resilient and stretchy, contributing to the product’s airy texture. “Removing gluten from leavened products not only impacts texture and mouthfeel but also aroma and appearance, said Phil Sprovieri, vice-president, ” sales and marketing, Flavorchem, Downers Grove, IL. “Flavors can be used to bring back the mild yeasty or fermented flavor notes that consumers have come to expect in breads and similar products. ”

Flavored particulates impart specific tastes while delivering desirable additions such as omega-3s, protein and fiber.
Tortuga Rum Cake

sweet, brown flavor,” Mr. Sprovieri said. “It is often necessary to use a combination of flavors and colors to deliver that caramelized sugar taste.” When sugar replacements are part of the formula, flavor chemists must carefully mask their off notes. “In our experience, sugar alcohols and high-intensity sweeteners often carry some bitterness baggage with them,” Mr. Randazzi said. “Formulators will overcompensate by misusing flavors, vanilla and malt in particular. We like to use a broad range of sweet brown flavors to mask the bitterness while maintaining a mellow baked taste. At low usage levels, sweet brown flavors can manage flavor

release and balance the product’s overall flavors to provide a pleasurable eating experience.” Indeed, over-flavoring is a typical response by formulators to help overcome negative tastes, but not only does this increase manufacturing costs, the true flavor of the product often gets lost. Suppliers have developed technologies to ensure the consumer tastes what the baker intends. For example, Wild Flavors developed a flavoring system that overcomes undesirable taste components by selectively influencing the tongue’s taste buds. It works through specially designed natural flavors that block the taste

receptors’ ability to taste bitterness and astringency. To better understand, visualize how a flavor molecule must fit exactly onto a relevant receptor on the tongue. The ingredient blocks the receptor by attaching itself to the receptor but does not trigger the taste sensation, a principle similar to a lock and key. In this case, the taste receptor is acting as a lock. The fitting of the key represents the molecule reception while the opening of the lock is the taste sensation. The technology does not allow the unlocking of the taste experience. Therefore, the taster cannot experience undesirable and unpleasant tastes. “This technology provides an improved flavor profile by physically blocking the bitter receptors on the tongue to allow a cleaner profile of the product. It works in conjunction with other flavor components, producing flavor profiles that can be tailored to solve specific off-flavor issues,” Ms. Smothers said. “For example, when combined with citrus or vanilla flavors, omega-3 fatty acid off flavors disappear in select applications.” The ingredient is declared on ingredient legends as simply “natural flavor.” Another way to ensure that off flavors associated with value-added nutrition stay subdued is to include them in a delivery system that controls undesirable flavor release. “Our flavor particulates can serve as delivery systems for unique ingredients such as omega-3s, fiber, superfruits, proteins and more,” Mr. Roesken said. “They provide a combination of cost efficiency, ease of use with no required refrigeration, extended shelf stability and, most importantly, the desired flavor profile in the finished baked product.” All the market research in the world can tell us that consumers want healthier, better-for-you foods. But in the end, if the flavors are not right, they won’t eat it.

•

/ Baking & Snack / April 2012

www.bakingandsnack.com

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking&Snack - April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking&Snack - April 2012