gluten-free tortillas

31
Formulating for Gluten-Free Tortillas Feliciano (Sonny) Bejosano, Ph.D. John E. Fannon, Ph.D. Allied Blending & Ingredients

Upload: feliciano-bejosano

Post on 17-Jul-2015

63 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Formulating for

Gluten-Free Tortillas

Feliciano (Sonny) Bejosano, Ph.D.

John E. Fannon, Ph.D.

Allied Blending & Ingredients

Food Allergies

�Each year, millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food.

Although most food allergies cause relatively mild and minor

symptoms, some food allergies can cause severe reactions, and may

even be life-threatening.

�Strict avoidance of food allergens - and early recognition and

management of allergic reactions to food - are important measures

to prevent serious health consequences.

�A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein.

They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food

intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated

reactions.

Food Allergies

�Protein is the food component that usually causes allergies. This

happens when our immune system mistakenly identifies a protein as

harmful.

�Some proteins or fragments of proteins are resistant to digestion

and those that are not broken down in the digestive process are

tagged by the Immunoglobulin E (IgE). These tags fool the immune

system into thinking that the protein is harmful.

�The immune system, thinking that the individual is under attack,

triggers an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from mild to

severe. Allergic responses include dermatitis, gastrointestinal and

respiratory distress.

Major Food Allergens

While more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions, the law identifies

the eight most common allergenic foods. These foods account for 90

percent of food allergic reactions, and are the food sources from which

many other ingredients are derived.

The eight foods identified by the law are:

�Milk

�Eggs

�Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)

�Crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp)

�Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)

�Peanuts

�Wheat

�Soybeans

FDA's Role: Labeling

�To help Americans avoid the health risks posed by food allergens,

Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and consumer

Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). The law applies to all foods whose

labeling is regulated by FDA.

�Before FALCPA, the labels of foods made from two or more

ingredients were required to list all ingredients by their common or

usual names. The names of some ingredients, however, do not clearly

identify their food source.

� Now, the law requires that labels must clearly identify the food

source names of all ingredients that are - or contain any protein

derived from - the eight most common food allergens, which

FALCPA defines as “major food allergens.”

� As a result, food labels help allergic consumers to identify

offending foods or ingredients so they can more easily avoid them.

Celiac Disease

�Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong inherited autoimmune condition

affecting children and adults. When people with CD eat foods that contain

gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to

the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Even

small amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with CD and cause health

problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no

symptoms present.

�Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are

harmful to persons with celiac disease. These proteins are found in all

forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and

faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale.

Celiac Disease

�Celiac Disease (CD) is unique in that a specific food component, gluten,

has been identified as the trigger. When individuals with CD eat gluten,

the villi (tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine that absorb

nutrients from food) are damaged. This is due to an autoimmune reaction

to gluten.

�Damaged villi do not effectively absorb basic nutrients – proteins,

carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and, in some cases, water and bile

salts. If CD is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and

life threatening, causing an increased risk of associated disorders – both

nutritional and immune related.

Celiac Disease

�Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is the skin

manifestation of celiac disease characterized by

blistering, intensely itchy skin. DH patients can have

intestinal damage without obvious gastrointestinal symptoms.

�Associated Autoimmune Disorders

� Insulin-dependent Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Liver diseases, Thyroid

Disease-Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Lupus (SLE), Addison’s Disease,

Chronic Active Hepatitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Turner Syndrome,

Sjögren’s Syndrome, Raynaud’s Syndrome, Alopecia Areata and

Scleroderma

�Other Disorders Linked to Celiac Disease

� Down Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,

Williams Syndrome

Prevalence of Celiac Disease

�Celiac disease is the most common genetic disease in Europe.

• In Italy about 1 in 250 people have it

• In Ireland about 1 in 300 people have celiac disease

•A University of Maryland study of over 13,000 subjects

demonstrated the prevalence at 1 in every 133 Americans have

celiac disease.

�Celiac disease is most common in Caucasians, but has been diagnosed

in Asians from India and Pakistan.

�It is rarely diagnosed in Japanese, Chinese or Africans.

�Because of the genetic component of the disease, it is found in 5 to 15

percent of siblings and offspring of celiacs.

�There is a 70 percent concordance (presence of a given trait in both

members of a pair of twins) among identical twins.

Gluten-Free Diet

�A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten.

Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats.

�Adapting to the gluten-free diet requires some lifestyle changes. It is

essential to read labels and to learn how to identify ingredients that may

contain hidden gluten. Even small amounts of ingested gluten can affect

those with CD and cause health problems.

�Potential harmful ingredients include:

� unidentified starch

� binders

� fillers

� excipients

� extenders

� malt

Gluten-Free Diet

�In the United States, the FDA issued regulations in 2007 limiting the

use of “Gluten-Free” in food products to those with less than 20 ppm

of gluten. The current international Codex Alimentarius Standard also

allows for up to 20 ppm of gluten in “Gluten-Free” foods.

�Many companies specializing in Gluten-Free products require less

than 7 ppm of gluten.

�The use of highly sensitive assays is mandatory to certify Gluten-

Free food products. The European Union, World Health Organization,

and Codex Alimentarius require reliable measurement of the wheat

prolamins, gliadins rather than all-wheat proteins.

Gluten-Free Diet

�The legal definition of the phrase “Gluten-Free” varies from country to

country. Current research suggests that for persons with CD the

maximum safe level of gluten in a finished product is probably less than

200 ppm and possibly as little as 20 ppm.

�Australian standards reserve the “Gluten Free” label for foods with

less than 5 ppm of gluten, as this is the smallest amount currently

detectable.

�Since ordinary wheat flour contains approximately 12% gluten, even a

tiny amount of wheat flour can cross-contaminate a gluten-free product.

Therefore, considerable care must be taken to prevent cross-

contamination in both commercial and home food preparation

�Gluten swab test kits are available to verify that gluten has been

sufficiently removed from equipment and other surfaces. The test can

detect the presence of gluten levels as low as 10 ppm. It can also be

used to test raw materials and finished products.

Gluten-Free Market (Celiac.com)

U.S. retail sales of gluten-free products (Package Facts report)

�2006 – under $ 1 billion

�2010 – $ 2.3 billion

�2012 – projected $ 2.6 billion

�2015 – projected $ 5.5 billion

Recently, General Mills transformed its popular Rice Chex cereal

into a gluten-free product without any change to the taste.

As of November 2010, General Mills claims to offer 250 gluten-free

products, including five varieties of Chex and numerous products

under the popular Betty Crocker and Bisquick brands.

Gluten-Free Market

Gluten-Free Market

Gluten-Free Market

Flour in Tortilla Processing

�Tortilla quality depends on parameters such as diameter, opacity and

shelf stability. Wheat flours are selected based on their ability to produce

tortillas that favor these quality attributes.

�Flour is the major ingredient in tortilla production and contributes to the

quality and shelf-stability of tortillas.

�Enriched, bleached, hard-wheat flour is generally used for tortillas.

�Stronger protein quality flours are used in hand-stretch and die-cut

tortilla operations while a wider variety of flours are used in hot-press

operations.

�Flours that produce extensible doughs yield large-diameter, opaque

tortillas.

�The type, proportion and amount of protein in wheat flour strongly

influence dough machineability and characteristics of baked product.

Breads made from flours of same protein content but different protein quality

Gluten-Free Baking

�Cookies – least dependent on gluten functionality

�Batter-based products – gluten also not very critical

�Bread – gluten is very important

�Tortilla – gluten is very important

Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The

most frequently used are corn, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other

grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include

amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupin, quinoa, sorghum, taro, teff, chia seed, and

yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free

products to add protein and dietary fiber.

In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered

acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are

actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable.

Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free (this is not the same as Graham

flour made from wheat).

Commercial Gluten-Free Flours

Gluten-Free Baking

�Formulating gluten-free brings some textural challenges.

�Common issues in gluten-free bakery product development are reduced volume,

lack of an even cell structure, and a dry, crumbly, grainy texture.

�Native flours/starches, modified cook-up and pre-gelatinized starches, and gums

are some of the ingredients used in gluten-free bakery formulations.

�Moisture management, dough consistency, machinability, volume, cell structure

and textural sensory attributes are critical parameters.

�Commercial gluten-free products are significantly drier, more crumbly, and have

less moist and smooth profiles than conventional products.

�There are ways to make gluten-free products with a taste and texture that are

similar to gluten containing products.

Challenges in gluten-free tortilla processing

�Dough make-up; hard to achieve same consistency and pliability as those of wheat

flour dough.

�Gluten-free alternatives require more water but do not result in pliable dough;

adding more water to make it softer results in sticky dough.

�Rounding and dividing is difficult if correct dough attributes are not achieved.

�Tortilla dough is processed in “free-form” unlike breads which can be baked in

pans thus, it should keep its shape on its own.

�Hot-pressing is a major challenge; dough should have enough strength to withstand

hot-press conditions.

�Once pressed, it should also keep its shape and pass through the oven conveyor

successfully.

�Since gluten-free “flours” absorb more water, moisture content of finished product

will be higher than wheat tortillas

�Higher moisture affects shelf-life; it will require more preservatives to be stable at

room temperature storage; if this is not desired, refrigerated/frozen storage is

necessary

�Lack of gluten in gluten-free “flours” results in products that feel drier and less

pliable which then increase with time due to starch retrogradation.

�It is hard to achieve the spongy texture using gluten-free flours

�Thus, same texture as in wheat tortilla should not be expected. Proper re-heating is

needed before consumption

�There will also be flavor differences depending on the type of “flour” used

Evaluation of Commercial Gluten-Free Tortillas

Subjective texture evaluation of

tortillas at room

temp.

Tortillas after re-heating on

electric griddle

at 380 F

La Tortilla Factory Gluten-Free Tortilla

Rudi’s Bakery Gluten-Free Tortilla

Food For Life Gluten-Free Tortilla

French Meadow Bakery Gluten-Free Tortilla

I will assist you in formulating your gluten-free tortilla

�We have a standard gluten-free tortilla formula. This will run on your hot-press

line without modifications in equipment and procedure.

�It is a complete mix which comes in two parts:

•Base – contains functional ingredients

•Blend – “Flour” portion of the formula

�Aside from being gluten-free it also does not contain the other seven major food

allergens.

�Current formula will give at least 30 days shelf-life at room temperature on

finished product.

�We can also provide “no preservatives” alternative but finished product needs to

be refrigerated/frozen. I am also testing a “natural preservatives” formula.

�The “Base” can be used for other “gluten-free flours” other than our “Blend”.

�I will work with you to develop the finished product that will meet your

specific requirements.