A study by the University of Munich has revealed the benefits of using resistant wheat starches to help create healthier baked goods with a higher fibre content.
The study was commissioned by food ingredients producer Loryma in 2022 and was carried out by the ZIEL Institute for Food & Health at the Technical University of Munich.
It revealed that the glycaemic index equivalent (GIA) for Lory Starch Elara is four, which Loryma said is significantly lower than the comparative value for native wheat starch (50 GIA) – the reference is glucose (100 GIA). The starch was considered to be dietary fibre as it is not broken down into sugar in the small intestine, instead reaching the large intestine almost undigested.
As such, Loryma said the starch was ‘ideally suited’ for enriching functional foods in terms of fibre content.
Bakery applications
Loryma said the industrially produced starch can be used to create products with ‘added health value’ by replacing conventional starch or flour proportionally with Lory Starch Elara. In most cases, the company claimed, neither the remaining recipe nor the processing method needs to be changed.
As a food ingredient, the modified type 4 starch can be declared as “resistant wheat starch”. The health claim “Replacing digestible starches with resistant starch in a meal contributes to a reduction in the blood glucose rise after that meal” can be used for foods if the proportion of resistant starch in the total starch content is at least 14%, Loryma added.
It offered a Nutri-Score A muffin as an example of its application in baked goods as well as a high protein/lower carb yeast plait, bread and pizza dough. The development team also came up with concepts for shortbread with protein-rich Skyr filling and high-protein almond biscuits. In shortbread and biscuit doughs, the use of the starch creates a ‘tender, crumbly texture’, it said.
“Awareness of the short- and long-term health effects of dietary fibres is growing among the population,” said Henrik Hetzer, managing director of Loryma. “However, it is also important to have a product that does not compromise on quality, taste and processing.
“We commissioned the scientific study to gather facts about its added health value and confirm that Lory Starch Elara is indeed processed by the body like dietary fibre, creating end products with added health value,” Hetzer added.
No comments yet