Utilization of durum wheat milling waste for the production of bread with higher nutritional content.
The aim of a recent study, carried out by a group of Italian researchers (Di Biase et al., 2024), was to enhance the value of waste from the durum wheat milling process, rich in bioactive compounds, by means of a fermentation process, for the formulation of new bakery products. In particular, research focused on developing biotechnological protocols to produce liquid sourdough (LS) based on bran flour (LS21B-B) or wheat germ flour (LS21B-G) fermented using a selected starter (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ITM21B), to be incorporated (20% w/w flour) into the formulation of bread loaves to improve their nutritional properties.
The results show that, compared to the control bread obtained using standard recipe (CTR1) and loaves containing unfermented bran/germ flour (CTR2/CTR3), the addition of LS increases the concentration of bioactive molecules such as EPS and amino acids and results in the production of lactic acid (3.45±0.14 mMol/kg in bread_LS21B-B e 5.29±0.04 mMol/kg in bread_LS21B-G). Glutamate is only increased in bread_LS21B-B, while the total protein content remains unchanged in all finished products. The data obtained so far, albeit preliminary, confirm the possibility of obtaining bread of high nutritional value by using milling waste subjected to fermentation.
Development of Maillard reaction products in oven-baked bread and pasta at high temperature.
As is well known, cooking at high temperatures causes a rapid decrease in moisture content, encouraging some chemical reactions, such as the Maillard reaction, which are largely responsible for the sensory qualities of food, including flavour, taste and colour. However, the same conditions promote the creation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) as well as that of potentially harmful compounds including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and acrylamide.
Therefore, the objective of a recent study, carried out by a group of Italian researchers (Aliberti et al., 2024), was to analyse how browning reactions in oven-baked products change with varying heat treatment intensity. The test was conducted on the following samples cooked in different conditions of time and temperature: Bread (200 and 225°C, 30-60 min) and pizza (310 and 450°C, 1-9 min). The cooked samples were evaluated for weight loss during cooking, colour changes (in L*, a*, b* and RGB colour space), and HMF and MRPS as indicators of thermal damage.
The results obtained confirm the direct relationship between the heat treatment intensity and the rate of the Maillard reaction. In fact, high-temperature baking accelerates browning reactions and forms thermal damage products; therefore, controlling baking conditions is crucial to limit the formation of potentially toxic substances. Similar evidence was also collected in the case of chicken nuggets (180, 190 and 200°C, 10-20 min).
References: Di Biase et al., Convegno Nazionale di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari, Bari, June 12-13, 2024, 71; Aliberti et al., Convegno Nazionale di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari, Bari, June 12-13, 2024, 86.
