Sustainable plant-based ingredients as wheat flour substitutes in bread making

Abstract

Bread as a staple food has been predominantly prepared from refined wheat flour. The world’s demand for food is rising with increased bread consumption in developing countries where climate conditions are unsuitable for wheat cultivation. This reliance on wheat increases the vulnerability to wheat supply shocks caused by force majeure or man-made events, in addition to negative environmental and health consequences. In this review, we discuss the contribution to the sustainability of food systems by partially replacing wheat flour with various types of plant ingredients in bread making, also known as composite bread. The sustainable sources of non-wheat flours, their example use in bread making and potential health and nutritional benefits are summarized. Non-wheat flours pose techno-functional challenges due to significantly different properties of their proteins compared to wheat gluten, and they often contain off-favor compounds that altogether limit the consumer acceptability of final bread products. Therefore, we detail recent advances in processing strategies to improve the sensory and nutritional profiles of composite bread. A special focus is laid on fermentation, for its accessibility and versatility to apply to different ingredients and scenarios. Finally, we outline research needs that require the synergism between sustainability science, human nutrition, microbiomics and food science.

PLANTdex: An index to assess the multi-dimensional environmental impact of global crop commodities

“…However, as demands shift due to consumption and supply (e.g. for wheat alternatives due to recent con ict events 24 ), global policy efforts may use extreme impact analysis to channel their legislation towards reducing extreme impacts associated to speci c crops as their demand increases (e.g. rye) (Fig.…”

Exploring sustenance: cereal legume combinations for vegan meat development

“…The production of 3D-printed meat analogues is a mammoth task for a larger population, thereby limiting its usage to the laboratory level. 79 3D printing has been employed in the development of reduced-fat meat analogues from emulsion gels, 80 textured soft hybrid meat analogues, 81 application of additives viz. hydrocolloids such as gelatin, alginates, 82–84 methylcellulose, 85 xyloses, 86 transglutaminase, 87 and cocoa butter 88 in improving the physicochemical properties of 3D printed meat analogues, and artificial muscle fibre insertion using coaxial nozzle assisted 3D printing.…”

“…Cereal and legume origin ingredients range from sweet to beany flavour sometimes owing to the lipoxygenase activity on unsaturated fatty acids making their excess utilization limited. 81 The process of meat flavour induction in the product is more tedious than the other perception factors. This is due to the presence of volatile flavour compounds that are particular to the natural meat tissue.…”

Mineral, Nutritional, and Phytochemical Composition and Baking Properties of Teff and Watermelon Seed Flours

“…A fundamental role in the nutrition of Western societies is played by gluten cereal products; therefore, the composition and content of nutrients and other beneficial phytochemicals in grain and flour are of great importance. However, the vast majority of bakery products available and consumed are made from white flour [ 1 , 2 ], which is obtained from grinding refined grain (after dehulling). Various studies report that bran fraction contains large amounts of valuable minerals (e.g., Zn, Fe, and Se), fiber, and phenolics/antioxidants, so the refining process adversely affects the nutritional and health-associated traits of grain.…”

“…Recently, there has been growing interest in the utilization of other high-quality grains (e.g., oats, quinoa, amaranth, teff, and pumpkin and legume seeds) to enrich wheat flours in the production of cereal-based foods [ 10 ]. Various studies have demonstrated that the abovementioned gluten-free seeds are characterized by favorable parameters for human dietary needs, including increased content of valuable minerals, fiber, and nutrients (protein, fatty acids, and vitamins), which are far superior to the composition of cereal bakery flours, both refined and whole-grain [ 2 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Teff ( Eragrostis tef ) is a grass species native to Ethiopia, with very fine seeds and remarkable drought tolerance.…”