Gluten-Free Baked Products

Jeffery L Casper, William A Atwell

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781891127809
• eBook ISBN: 9780128123676
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

One of the most rapidly growing segments in the food industry is gluten-free baked products. These goods not only cater to those with medical needs, from celiac disease to gluten intolerance; they also cater to the millions of individuals who seek a gluten-free diet.Gluten-Free Baked Products is a practical guide on the development, manufacturing, and marketing of gluten-free baked products. The book gives readers an entry-level understanding of gluten-free product requirements, their production, and the breadth of ingredients available to baked product developers.This highly relevant book was written as an initial reference for food scientists, including those who need an introduction to gluten-free product development. It was also written as a general reference to those who are indirectly involved with gluten-free products, such as marketers, consultants, and quality assurance and regulatory professionals. Nutrition enthusiasts and consumers following a gluten-free diet for medical reasons will also find this book useful.Gluten-Free Baked Products can serve as a supplemental resource for students and faculty of general food science courses, as well as those covering product development, food allergies, and autoimmune conditions.Whether you are a student, professional in the food industry, or nutrition enthusiast, this book offers an easy way to understand the complex world of gluten-free bakingCoverage includes: - A detailed discussion on celiac disease, wheat allergies, and gluten intolerance, including symptoms, diagnosis, and nutritional deficiencies- A marketing perspective on the consumer segments of gluten-free products, as well as the market size and growth trends- Formulations and processing of gluten-free breads, snacks, and pasta products, as well as cookies, cakes, and other batter-based products- Manufacturing and supply chain best practices, certification procedures, regulations, and labeling requirements- A comprehensive discussion of the ingredients used when formulating gluten-free products, including flours, starches, maltodextrins, corn/maize, millet, oats, rice, sorghum, teff, pseudocereals, inulin, tubers, legumes, noncereal proteins, enzymes, and gums/hydrocolloids

Chapter 1

Gluten Intolerance, Celiac Disease, and Wheat Allergy

It is difficult for those who eat wheat with impunity to truly relate to, or understand, the lives of those who have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. Observing the shelf during a simple trip to the grocery store will demonstrate just how intertwined our lives are with wheat and other grains such as barley and rye. The histories of wheat and humans are indeed inseparable and have resulted in a food supply that could be described as inhospitable to those who cannot consume foods containing wheat, rye, or barley or ingredients derived from these common cereals. However, recent interest in gluten-free diets has resulted in increased options and variety for those who are celiac patients or have gluten intolerance, even though the primary market force for this proliferation has been those who can eat gluten but are selecting a gluten-free diet for other reasons.

Product requirements for foods marketed to those with celiac disease do not differ from foods specifically marketed for gluten intolerance. Despite this, it is important to product developers to understand the differences between celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy because these differences give context to the requirements of the end consumer. Consumers adhering to a gluten-free diet will likely purchase foods meeting the criteria for people with celiac disease because food manufacturers generally do not produce noncertified gluten-free products. This chapter provides an overview of each condition. Additionally, to understand these conditions, it is of critical importance to understand what is meant by the term “gluten” and how it is used within the medical community, as that differs from how it is used by those in the field of food technology.

Gluten

Common wheat flour is approximately 7–15% protein on a 14% moisture basis (1). Most proteins in wheat can be considered “storage proteins,” which are utilized by the germinating and growing seedling. Proteins that are considered “gluten” make up approximately 80% of the total storage proteins in the wheat kernel. Gluten comprises many different types of proteins, which are commonly classified using the Osborne classification system (2) This system allows for proteins with different properties to be separated and classified based on their solubilities. The common protein fractions in wheat include water-soluble proteins (albumins), proteins soluble in salt solution (globulins), proteins soluble in 70% aqueous ethanol (prolamins), and proteins soluble in dilute acids and bases (glutelins). Of these protein classes, the prolamins and glutelins are by far the largest components in wheat protein and make up 33 and 16%, respectively, of the total proteins in flour. These two classes of proteins, when combined, are known as “gluten” to those in the field of food technology.

“Gluten” means different things to different scientists:

• • in food science, a combination of two proteins—glutenin and gliadin,
• • in medical science, gliadin only.

For food technologists, “gluten” is thought of as a functional combination of two specific types of protein, glutenin (a glutelin) and gliadin (a prolamin). Glutenin contributes elasticity and strength to wheat flour dough; when stretched, it resists and returns to its original shape. On the other hand, gliadin stretches easily without resistance. Combined, these proteins provide a viscoelastic character to a dough, which allows for the entrapment of gas and prevents that gas from escaping. Bubbles in dough can expand and allow dough to become sufficiently porous to provide a desirably textured low-density product when baked.

In contrast, the medical community defines gluten strictly as the prolamin, or gliadin, fraction from wheat, rye, and barley. Prolamins are unique in their amino acid composition, having the highest proline and glutamine contents of all the major protein classes in these grains. The storage proteins in these cereals are all prolamins since the cereals are all members of the same family of grasses and share the same evolutionary path. Figure 1.1 shows the relationships among cereals. Common bread wheat is known to plant taxonomists as Triticum aestivum. Spelt (T. aestivum var. spelta) shares a close genetic tie to modern wheat and is therefore reactive or toxic to celiac patients. Moving up the family tree, we find more primitive relatives of modern wheat, such as durum (T. turgidum). Even more ancient emmer and einkorn (T. monococcum), are reactive to celiac patients. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and rye (Secale cereale) are much more distantly related to wheat but still induce the celiac response because of the presence of specific peptide sequences in their prolamins. The prolamins are named according to their source (hordeins from barley, secalins from rye, avenins from oats).

Fig. 1.1 Genetic relationship between gluten-containing grains and other grains.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is believed to impact 0.7% of the total U.S. population, a percentage that is similar to that found in Europe (3). The incidence of celiac disease in the non-Hispanic white population is higher than in the total population (1%). The majority of those with celiac disease remain undiagnosed.

Simply stated, celiac disease is a permanent condition induced by the consumption of storage proteins from wheat, rye, or barley. The Mayo Clinic (4) defines celiac disease as

a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten…[resulting in] an immune reaction…causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine….

Celiac disease results in damage to the inner surface of the small intestine (Figure 1.2), greatly reducing its ability to absorb nutrients. The small intestine is the point of absorption for almost all nutrients (carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals) and can be considered the most important part of the gastrointestinal tract. Over time, malnourishment occurs when it is damaged. The only known treatment of celiac disease is the complete avoidance of wheat, rye, and barley (5). Even ingestion of 20–50 mg of gluten per day can prevent a full recovery in a celiac patient with damaged intestines (6).

Fig. 1.2 Intestinal villi. Left to right: normal, partially damaged or atrophied, and fully atrophied villi in a celiac patient. (Used with permission from the Center for Celiac Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore)

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, which is different than a classic allergy. In autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues rather than protecting the body from foreign invaders. Inducement of celiac disease is not only attributable to the proteins from wheat, rye, and barley but is also the result of a combination of three major factors: genetic predisposition, reactive epitopes, and gut permeability.

Factor 1: Genetic Predisposition

The immune system of those diagnosed with celiac disease is genetically predisposed to overreact (7). This genetic predisposition results in the production of proteins known as histocompatibility leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Two variants of these proteins, HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8, are produced by 95% of celiac patients. It is estim...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Gluten Intolerance, Celiac Disease, and Wheat Allergy
• Chapter 2: The Gluten-Free Market and Consumer
• Chapter 3: Gluten-Free Ingredients
• Chapter 4: Gluten-Free Bakery Product Formulation and Processing
• Chapter 5: Gluten-Free Pasta and Snacks
• Chapter 6: Gluten-Free Best Practices, Regulations, and Labeling
• Index