Jungbunzlauer glucono-delta-lactone (GdL) has been used for a while as a leavening acid in high-quality baking mixes for home use, in refrigerated canned dough products and in deep frozen pizzas. However, it stayed in those niches  of the baked goods industry for a long time, because its neutralizing value (NV) of 47 obliges bakers to use 50% more GdL than, for example, sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) to obtain the same quantity of  released carbon dioxide. Its cost at use was often considered as dissuasive, when compared to common leavening phosphates.  However, this picture has  now changed with the considerable price increases observed in the phosphates market over the last 18 months. Even if the peak  for those ingredients has now passed, phosphate prices remain very high. These changed economics allow bakers to make use of GdL’s numerous benefits, including  its "naturalness, "  organic appeal, versatility, taste, appearance/texture, shelflife, sodium reduction and aluminum reduction.

 Beyond alterations in the economics of phosphate use,  the booming demand for organic and all-natural baked goods along with issues in regards to the use restrictions of phosphates in organic products and questions about their naturalness, finally has put GdL in the spotlights. Also, the need of individuals to reduce sodium and aluminium intake while keeping product quality speaks in favor of GdL. Its unique combination of benefits makes GdL more interesting than ever as a natural leavening acid, especially for muffins, cakes and pancakes in their organic, natural, sodium-reduced and aluminium-reduced forms. Jungbunzlauer, healthychoices@jungbunzlauer.com

From the March 30, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition