Clabber Girl Corp., Terre Haute, Ind., which produces chemical leavening systems for the food industry, has released the results of an independent research study by the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science. The study confirms that with the use of Clabber Girl’s Encapsulated Fumaric Acid, the amount of calcium propionate in yeast bread recipes can be cut in half and yeast reduced by 10%, findings that have significant cost implications for the price-sensitive baking industry.

The KSU study confirms Clabber Girl’s research and development findings, as well as the results of an earlier study conducted by the independent research body. Both studies confirmed that the use of Clabber Girl’s InnovaFresh Encapsulated Fumaric Acid enables bakers to reduce the amount of calcium propionate used in yeast bread recipes by 50%, and the amount of yeast by 10%. According to Clabber Girl’s Nita Livvix, director of research and development, “Based on current ingredient costs, the savings a commercial baker could realize from the lower yeast and calcium propionate levels approach $3 per 1,000 loaves. That could add up to savings of $80,000 annually for a typical commercial baker.”

The study also verified that use of Clabber Girl’s InnovaFresh Encapsulated Fumaric Acid reduces proofing time by as much as five minutes. Notes Livvix, “The reduction in proof time can equate to either increased bread production rates or decreased input costs through labor, energy and facility overhead savings depending on the goals of the baker.”

Quality measures such as proof height, loaf volume and crumb grain of the test bread formula compared favorably to the control formula. Additionally, there was no visible mold on any of the loaves on days one and 15 after baking, which confirmed the findings of the American Institute of Baking (AIB) International study showing optimized shelf life. The Clabber Girl Encapsulated Fumaric Acid used in the test formula is also considered an acceptable ingredient for use in products sold in Whole Foods supermarkets.

For more information about the KSU study, visit clabbergirl.com/innovaphase/pdf/KansasStateStudy.pdf.