Baking&Snack - June 2014 - 54

Use of cereal grain
fibers in snack
applications will
continue to grow
as consumer
demand for whole
grains increases.
ADM Milling

What's more, getting all that recommended fiber
into the daily diet absolutely requires supplementation. "Intrinsic fiber in most food forms is at a level that
makes it challenging for the average American to reach
the RDI for fiber," said Jenn White, food industry specialist, Brenntag Mid-South, St. Louis. "Few foods in the
categories suggested as natural sources - fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes - qualify as 'good' or 'excellent'
sources of fiber levels based on FDA labeling requirements. Adding fiber as a functional ingredient to such
foods is a viable solution."

Formula-friendly fiber
For the most part, cereal grain fibers are extremely compatible with normal bakery formulas and are commonly
used in applications such as cereals, snacks, cookies,
buns and cakes. Yet formulating with them can be a bit
tricky because each type brings its own characteristics
and fiber content to the mix. In other words, one size
does not fit all. In the grain group, barley, wheat and rye
offer the highest fiber content, ranging from approximately 11% for wheat to 17% for barley. The fiber content range of corn and sorghum is 6 to 9%, while whole
grain rice has a 3 to 4% fiber content level.
Depending on the amount and type of fiber that will
be used, it's possible that bakers will need to adjust their
formulas. "When formulating with whole grain flours,
proper absorption and hydration is critical because of
the effect fiber can have," said Elizabeth Arndt, PhD,
director of R&D, Ardent Mills, Omaha, NE. "Different
whole grains vary in their level and rate of absorption.
One of the common problems we see in making whole
grain and multigrain dough is the failure to add enough
water." Dr. Arndt also emphasized monitoring mix time
because whole grain and multigrain doughs typically require less time than refined wheat flour dough.
When selecting a cereal grain fiber, product developers must also factor in what functionality they want to

54 Baking & Snack June 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

achieve with the final product. This ensures they choose
the appropriate fiber for their applications. "Different
options will vary on the level of refinement, fiber content
and fiber length as well as their oil and water absorption
capabilities," noted Aida Prenzno, director of technology
at Tucson, AZ-based Gum Technology, a business unit
of Penford Food Ingredients. "For example, oat fibers are
widely used in bakery applications, and they are available in a variety of choices. If you choose an oat fiber
with high water absorption, you may need to adjust your
formula."
In addition to altering water-holding capacities, cereal grain fibers can also affect dough structure. "Fiber
ingredients compete with bread flour for water absorption and interfere with gluten's role in structuring and
gas retention, causing a reduced loaf volume and a tacky
crumb texture," Horizon Milling's Ms. Hu added. "We
suggest adding more water to compensate along with vital wheat gluten for volume re-building."
The size of the fiber particles impacts dough structure, too. Cereal grain fibers are a natural part of grains,
and they reside in the bran and germ parts of the seeds.
According to Michael Weibel, vice-president, R&D,
Watson, Inc., West Haven, CT, bran particles are sharp
and can wreak havoc during processing. "The sharp
particles penetrate the gas bubbles during leavening,"
he explained. "When that happens, the gas cell structure of the dough begins to collapse. That's why whole
wheat products are typically more dense. However, we
are seeing improvement in this area because whole grain
bran particles are being ground finer, resulting in dough
products that have fine grain and less dense texture."

Addressing texture, color, taste
Perhaps the biggest challenge is the need to develop
products that meet consumer expectations for taste, texture and visual appeal. Adding cereal grain fiber beyond
10 to 20% can make that difficult.
"Browning can be an issue, although this is less of a
problem in corn-based foods where textures are generally short to begin with," noted Todd Giesfeldt, mill R&D
senior manager, Didion Milling, Cambria, WI. "As the
amount of cereal fiber in baked goods increases, organoleptic properties, apart from texture, are adversely affected, resulting in a pasty or gritty taste. It's at this point the
taste attributes of the fiber itself start to come through."
As a solution to this potential problem, Atchison,
KS-based MGP Ingredients developed resistant wheat
starch, which can be used as a 1:1 replacement for flour
in baked foods. "This resistant starch is white in color,
making it an ideal source of 'invisible' fiber," explained
Liming Cai, PhD, an MGP applications scientist. "It does
not detract from the appearance of bakery products,

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