Baked Goods

Derived from Canadian yellow peas, our products are a source of essential nutrients, making them ideal for protein, starch and fiber fortification in breads and other bakery staples.

A Nutritious Additive

Today’s health-conscious consumers want nutritious foods that can help them stay fit and active — and they’re willing to pay for it. According to a 2009 Datamonitor report, one third of consumers believe it is worth paying a slight premium for foods with extra nutritional benefits, providing a growing opportunity for food designers to develop more nutritious versions of breads and other bakery food staples.

Starches, proteins and fibers derived from Canadian yellow peas are uniquely positioned to meet that need. A source of these key nutrients, our proprietary Accu-Gel™ Pea Starch, Propulse™ Pea Protein, Centara™ Pea Hull Fiber and Uptake 80™ Pea Cell Wall Fiber are functional food ingredients that can enrich a variety of baked goods, for healthier end products with no sensory interference. What’s more, they are often more nutritionally dense than are traditional sources of starch (corn, wheat, potato), fiber (bran) and protein (whey) in baked goods, and can provide additional textural, visual and economic benefits.

Applications At-A-Glance

Breads

A “Good” Carb

When used in white bread, Accu-Gel has been demonstrated to significantly reduce its glycemic index (GI). As a slowly digestible starch (SDS), Accu-Gel Pea Starch has a low GI, resulting in diminished blood glucose and insulin levels. This offers metabolic advantages over other traditional starches, especially for those with dietary restrictions due to diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

In addition, Accu-Gel is also an excellent source of resistant starch (RS); the fraction of starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine and has functional and nutritional properties similar to dietary fiber. When incorporated into noodles, pasta and bread at a 30% level, Accu-Gel can supply 2g of resistant starch per serving.

Added Fiber

Breads have increasingly become a convenient carrier of dietary fiber. However, the detrimental effect of fiber on dough rheology, loaf volume and bread texture continues to push food technologists to look for new sources.

Researchers in Spain investigated the effect of several fibers on dough mixing properties. Addition of pea hull fiber (Centara) to wheat flour (up to a 15% level) produced a very similar bread to the controlled white bread. While the pea fiber addition increased the water absorption, it did so without affecting the dough consistency and stability and it required no extra mixing. Crust color became lighter and more yellow. Even more interesting was that the breads showed improved shelf life due to the reduced tendency of hardening.

Overall, pea fibers like Centara and Uptake 80 can be used successfully to obtain a healthier bread and can increase the TDF level of a bread from 3 to over 5%. When used as a fiber additive, pea fiber is an excellent substitute for wheat, oat, soy or sugar beet flour. At an 8-12% substitution for flour, pea fiber increases bread volume, improves dough texture and strength, and extends shelf life. Adding pea fiber beyond the 5-15% level can be done; however, additives may be required to combat the excess water absorption and build up the structure of the bread.

A Great Source of Protein

Sales of bread with protein claims are on the rise, and manufacturers are increasingly adding this essential nutrient to everyday staple finished products. Pea proteins like Propulse are a great alternative to soy and whey proteins in a range of baked goods, including breads.

Cookies, Snack Cakes & Muffins

Pea hull fiber provides twice the dietary fiber of wheat bran, with much less impact on taste and color. Centara pea hull fiber can be used up to a 25% substitution for flour in a variety of baked goods; however, you’ll have to add more liquid ingredients to achieve the best results.

When used in baked goods like cookies and cakes, pea proteins like Propulse can be added at about a 3% level. However, they don't just provide protein fortification — they can also improve the texture of baked goods, enhancing crumb structure and perceived moistness.

Wheat Flour Tortillas

Fiber Fortification

Wheat flour tortillas are one of the fastest growing segments of the North American baking industry. Nutritionally, flour tortillas are rich in carbohydrates, generating a high glycemic index subsequent to ingestion similar to that of white bread. But pea fibers like Centara and Uptake 80 are nutritious alternatives, offering both fiber enrichment and the ability to bring down the glycemic index of a tortilla. Retail shelves are now offering consumers tortillas with pea hull fiber at a level as high as 35%, with each tortilla offering 8 grams of fiber per serving compared to 4g in a whole wheat tortilla.

Improving Texture & Shelf Life

Due to pea fiber‘s water absorption properties, processors can deliver a tortilla that is more cohesive and strong while simultaneously offering a very noticeable increase in tortilla softness. Not only are these tortillas softer, but they also retain their softness for a longer period of time. Since tortillas are known for going stale very quickly, this textural benefit can prolong the perceived freshness, and therefore shelf life of the tortilla. Additionally, the softness of the tortilla imparted by the pea hull fiber also improves rollability and prevents cracking.

An Economical Alternative

Due to the pea fiber’s water holding capacity, more water can be added to the conventional dough mix for wheat and corn tortillas, imparting a cost benefit. Test runs have shown that the inclusion of 2% Centara III can allow for a 10-15% increase in the level of water used in a corn tortilla formulation.

Glazing

Pea starches like Accu-Gel demonstrate a unique ability to create thin, strong films when applied in a very thin layer as a hot paste. This allows them to serve as a flexible and clear coating in a number of applications, including bakery and confectionery products. Pea starches also contain no fat, providing a low-calorie alternative to oil- or fat-based glazes. When used as a glaze on baked goods, Accu-Gel Pea Starch provides the following benefits:

Gluten-Free Baked Goods

Growing interest in the gluten-free diet has created a growing opportunity for food designers to seek out alternatives to wheat, rye and barley. Yellow peas are gluten- free by nature, and because of their high iron content, they offer a great benefit for those suffering from celiac disease, as iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B deficiencies are a common nutritional concern.

In gluten-free pasta and baked goods, Propulse Pea Protein improves the nutritional value of products that would otherwise have a tendency to be high in fat and low in nutrients. In addition, Accu-Gel Pea Starch can be used to replace up to 50% of commonly used gluten-free starches and flours:

• Muffins, cookies, and cakes: when replacing rice flour and potato starch, Accu-Gel demonstrates notable improvement in texture and softness.
• Breads: Accu-Gel provides a significant improvement in loaf color, density and crumb texture.
• Dough and crackers: when pea starch is used as the base ingredient, it provides good physical properties and acceptable dough quality without requiring additional moisture.