Can a New Rice-based Enzyme Take Gluten-Free Bread to the Next Level?

Celiac.com 07/25/2017 - Enzymes are playing an increasing part in both the treatment of celiac disease, and in the manufacture of gluten-free baked goods.

DSM recently showcased their new rice-based baker's enzyme, Bakezyme, at the annual meeting of Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Las Vegas. The product took DSM two years to develop and perfect, and promises to improve the softness and moistness of gluten-free bread.

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Bakezyme is so good, says DSM, and leaves gluten-free bread so soft and so moist that it can compete with wheat-based breads in texture. Designed to meet an array of manufacturer needs, Bakezyme is available in five different enzyme classes–amylase, protease, xylanase, glucose oxidase and amyloglucosidase.

The version with amylase, an anti-staling enzyme, for example, will retain the softness for at least nine days.

Fokke Van den Berg, DSM global business manager for baking says that Bakezyme grew out of DSM's efforts to tackle the two biggest consumer complaints about gluten-free bread, the hardness, and the dryness.

While most baker's enzymes are derived from wheat, Bakezyme is made of fermentation-derived microorganisms added to rice flour, making it suitable for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Because the enzymes are deactivated during baking, Bakezyme is regarded as a processing aid and thus is not required to be listed as an ingredient.

DSM tested Bakezyme on two types of dough, oat and a mixture of potato and rice, with each requiring a slightly different formulation for similar results.

Beyond the slight costs of ensuring that Bakezyme is gluten-free, its overall price is on par other enzyme ingredients, partly because such a small amount is needed. One kilo of Bakezyme is enough to produce 10,000 kilos of bread.

The company expects most demand to come from the US and UK as well as other European countries, but the gluten-free trend is also spreading to Brazil, Turkey and Morocco, said Van den Berg.

Read more at FoodNavigator.com.