National Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater, N.J., published a white paper, titled “Adding Texture Appeal to Healthy Baked Goods: A Systematic Approach to Satisfying Consumer Preferences.”


National Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater, N.J., published a white paper, titled “Adding Texture Appeal to Healthy Baked Goods: A Systematic Approach to Satisfying Consumer Preferences.”

Written by Alejandro J. Perez-Gonzalez, senior associate, systems design and measurement, the white paper demonstrates to food scientists and sensory experts how many of the typical textural shortcomings of a range of healthy baked goods can be overcome with novel ingredients and formulation assistance.

“There’s a growing movement toward healthy products and bakery items with ’clean-label’ credentials,” Perez-Gonzalez says. “Consumers are reading ingredient statements and avoiding products whose labels list lots of chemical-sounding ingredient names. They are seeking out baked goods with lower fat, lower calories, whole grains and gluten-free ingredients.”

Each of these categories presents significant textural challenges to food formulators. When fat and calories are reduced, important sensory properties, such as mouth-coating are compromised. Whole grains and fiber absorb more water than traditional ingredients, creating manufacturing and textural problems. The most common gluten-free flour substitutes, such as tapioca and rice flours impart an unappealing gritty texture when compared with wheat flour.

This paper shows how National Starch Food Innovation’s systematic approach to texture design can prevent these problems. National Starch has done extensive evaluation of the many sensory properties that characterize a food, and has translated them into precise, repeatable attributes. Using the company’s systematic sensory analysis tools and proprietaryDIAL-IN texture mapping technology, National Starch food scientists are able to formulate healthy products that they could predict would have higher consumer appeal.

To request a copy of the white paper, “Adding Texture Appeal to Healthy Baked Goods: A Systematic Approach to Satisfying Consumer Preferences,” go tohttp://www.foodinnovation.com/foodinnovation/en-us/Pages/Home.aspx, or contact National Starch Information Center, 181 Herrod Blvd, Dayton, NJ 08810. Call 866-961-6285.