Gluten-free that's crumble-free

Arla Foods Ingredients aims to make dry, crumbly, gluten-free bakery products a thing of the past, with the launch of a natural milk protein-based ingredient.

The market for gluten-free products is booming across the globe, with sales in both Europe and the US growing 20% during 2014, to reach a value of €1.5 billion and US$20 billion respectively.

However, many gluten-free bakery products continue to perform poorly in terms of taste and texture. Nutrilac proteins for gluten-free products addresses this problem, offering a solution that improves the sensory quality of end products while maintaining their structure.

The 100% gluten-free product simulates the protein structure and functionality of wheat gluten, resulting in bread and cakes with the soft and elastic crumb that consumers are seeking.

Launched at the recent IBA trade show in Munich, Nutrilac milk proteins require no new machinery or change in standard manufacturing procedures. Arla said the proteins result in an elastic dough that can be handled in a similar way to standard yeast-raised dough. They ensure excellent crumb resistance for enhanced slicing and a pleasant, fresh crust. The completely natural proteins have a neutral, rounded milky taste to ensure they don’t impair product flavour.

“Gluten-free is huge right now, but such strong sales growth won’t be sustainable if products don’t taste nice, because eventually consumers will drift away. The winners in this category will be bakery companies that can make gluten-free bread and cakes that are virtually indistinguishable from their conventional equivalents,” says John Kjaer, global sales manager for bakery at Arla Foods Ingredients.