June 23/Olsztyn, Poland/Food Business Week --  According to recent research from Olsztyn, Poland, "Commercially available gluten-free breads are of low quality and have a rapid staling during storage. Therefore, attempts were made to obtain gluten-free breads of improved structure properties and extended shelflife."

"For this purpose, laboratory-obtained bean starch, both native or hydrothermally modified, was added to a gluten-free formulation. Texture results revealed differences between the bottom (harder) and upper (softer) parts of fresh breads containing native bean starch. Modified starch reduced the hardness and diminished the differences between the upper and the bottom parts of a bread slice. Independent of storage duration, breads are crumbly. A considerable decrease of the peak and final viscosity was observed with the increase of the storage time in sample with native bean starch, whereas the presence of modified starch induced the opposite tendency," wrote U. Krupa and colleagues, Polish Academy of Science.

The researchers concluded, "The addition of native starch increased the tendency of amylopectine to retrograde during storage, whereas the presence of modified starch decreased the retrogradation enthalpy by 16%."

Krupa and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation ("Bean Starch As Ingredient For Gluten-free Bread." Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2010;34(Suppl. 2):501-518).

For additional information, contact U. Krupa, Polish Academy Science, Dept. of Functioning Properties Food, Institute Animal Reproductive & Food Research, Tuwima 10, PL-10747 Olsztyn, Poland.

From the July 6, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition