Baking & Snack - April 2016 - 52

PROTEIN

have the expectation that snacks and bakery products
will also provide real nutrition and health benefits."
Bakery and snack items are a natural fit for protein
fortification because the macronutrient provides plenty
of functional abilities. "Protein can provide great emulsification, good solubility and water-binding properties,"
said Phil Blanchard, bakery sales manager, Agropur. "It
has a multitude of functional and nutritional benefits
within bakery applications; for example, it can aid in
preventing staling."
Protein can also slip into a formulation with relative
ease. "Protein fortification can deliver exceptional nutritional value to baked goods and snacks without impacting
the taste and texture that people love," said Mark Brooks,
senior vice-president of food ingredients, TerraVia.
Protein has many functional and nutritional benefits
for bakery and snack foods, but finding the right one is
key to managing any formulation challenges that may
crop up and to delivering the benefits producers expect.

Choosing a protein
There are many different sources of protein that can
be used in bakery and snack applications: dairy, egg,
wheat, soy, pea and even algae proteins. Choosing the
right one largely depends on the end goals defined by
the finished product.
"The best protein source really depends on the need
that the product developer is trying to address," said
Pat O'Brien, manager, strategic business development,
Ingredion, Inc. Formulators need to consider whether
they want the protein to enhance the nutritional value
of the product and by how much or if the protein will
serve a functional purpose in the formulation. Maybe
the protein delivers both a nutritional boost and processing functionality. The point is, each protein source
does something different.
"What is important to remember is that each protein ingredient component brings unique properties to
a bakery product," said Aaron Martin, sports nutrition

52 Baking & Snack April 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Protein crisps can provide snack mixes with added texture and nutrition.
ADM

manager, Agropur Ingredients. "For instance, caseinate can really aid in retaining moisture while whey will
provide some rigidity to a product. Similarly, milk protein, soy, rice, etc. will have inherent benefits and pitfalls
within products. Striking a balance is crucial." With its
BakiGen bakery ingredients, Agropur can tailor-make a
system to meet a baker's formulating needs.
After considering functional and nutritional benefits,
formulators should also be aware of how different protein sources will affect the finished product. "In fortifying bakery products, especially yeast-leavened products,
with protein, the formulator needs to consider the protein's impact on water absorption, mixing time, dough
handling and finished baked product attributes like loaf
volume, crumb texture and taste," Dr. Maningat said.
Food allergies are another critical concern because
many protein sources are allergens. Companies must decide if they want allergen-free products or which allergens they are comfortable with. "If a product developer
is looking to replace an allergen or would prefer a nonGMO or vegan source of protein, then a pea, faba bean
or lentil protein might be a good solution," Mr. O'Brien
said. "If a product developer is interested in the highest possible protein digestibility-corrected amino acid
score, then a whey or soy protein might be a good option. The best protein source really depends on what the
product developer is trying to achieve."

So many sources
With so many options to choose from for protein fortification, it's important to understand the benefits and challenges each one brings to the formulating bench. "There
are obviously a variety of protein sources out there, but
when it comes to bakery, the manufacturing conditions
are a big consideration," Mr. Blanchard said. "There are
proteins that definitely cannot provide the same level of
performance in structure, and some even contribute neg-

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