New bread aromas enhance taste in salt reduced products

Tag : cake improver
The aromas, made from a mixture of natural ingredients, also allowfor the cost-efficient production of bread without compromising on taste , said the company.

Steven Morgan, Synergy 's managing director, told BakeryandSnacks.com that a key qualitycustomers seek is the aroma that comes when you break open a freshloaf of bread.

"One of the toughest challenges for industrial bakers is to producebaked goods on a large scale that look, taste and feel like theywere produced in craft bakery," said. Morgan

"Add to that the salt reduction targets set by the FSA [ UK Food Standards Agency], and spiralling raw material and productioncosts and the obstacles are clear. Bakers need easy-to-use tastesolutions that offer excellent end results."

The FSA's targets for 2010 say products should have a 1 per centsalt content, but bread typically contains 1.2g per 100g.

While attempts to reduce salt have stepped up across the industryas pressure mounts on manufacturers to provide healthier products,bakers face particular challenges because of the importantfunctionality of salt in the products as well as its effect ontaste.

However, Synergy's aromas allow for formulations with up to 20 percent reduction in salt by enhancing the taste, said the company.

The range can be applied to a wide range of bread products, fromflatbread to crusty loafs to soda farls. However, Morgan said thecompany can also work with customers to find individual solutions.

Cost benefits

The company said, when used in conjunction with its Saporesse lowsodium lactic yeast and natural flavouring, the bread aromas canalso replace the desirable long fermenting flavour, which is oftenlost in the Chorleywood process.

This process uses low protein wheat and chemical improvers to workthe dough at a high speed, thereby reducing the fermentationprocess and translating into time and money savings.

Synergy's Saporesse lactic yeast extract range was originallylaunched in 2000 to help more manufacturers cut their salt content.It has recently extended the range for application in a widervariety of products.


Reducing salt

Numerous scientists are convinced high salt intake is responsiblefor increasing blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk factorfor CVD, which causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe.

Although sodium is useful in food production and is also anessential mineral, governments have been leading salt reductioninitiatives in light of concerns about the effects of excess salt(sodium chloride) on health and about the amount of salt inprocessed foods.

The FSA recommends a limit of 6g of salt per day for the generalpopulation, and less for children.

Barbara Gallani, manager of the UK Food and Drink Federation'sBiscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery section (BCCC) saidearlier this year that many UK biscuit and cake products havereached their salt-reduction limit, thanks to bakers' efforts tocut salt components.

There have been overall reductions of between 16 and 50 per centsince February 2006 in some of the most popular brands of cakes andbiscuits, she said.