Gluten Free With a Side of Banana

Gluten Free With a Side of Banana

By Arianna McKinney

Time for some real talk about gluten free foods! Gluten free products are advertised on grocery market shelves everywhere. In 2020, the market for gluten free products is expected to reach 7.59 billion U.S dollars. Gluten free foods are commonly misperceived as being “cleaner” and healthier alternatives to gluten containing products. However, have you ever stopped to look at the ingredients and the label for gluten free baked goods? What are ingredients like “guar gum” and “xanthan gum” doing in these foods? For most of us, we think of “clean labels” as being very simple and using very few ingredients. However, the current gluten free products on the market require the use of gums to mimic the properties of gluten and maintain the voluminous structure commonly associated with baked goods. Because some people believe gums are dangerous, though unsubstantiated by research, replacing gums would be for the best as far as a marketing standpoint goes.

        So, how can we eliminate these gums from the label, and still maintain that traditional bread structure? A novel ingredient called “green banana flour”. Yep, it’s exactly what your thinking: unripe bananas- Well kind of… Green banana flour is made by milling, the process of crushing and grinding starchy, unripe bananas into powder. It has properties like high-resistant starch (aka ones that are highly resistant to digestion and are instead used by gut microbes and aid in blood sugar maintenance), low sugar, and neutral taste.  These qualities make it an ideal alternative to traditional gluten free powders that require gums like rice, potato, coconut, and almond.  Additionally, these properties give green banana flour the potential to be utilized in various baked goods, nutrition bars, thickening agents in dressings and desserts, and more.

        Since green banana flour has a high viscosity, it is able to act like a gum on its own and creates a thickness that otherwise wouldn’t be achieved without adding something like guar gum or xanthan gum. Additionally, green banana flour has a ratio of 75-80% amylopectin and 20-25% amylose, the building blocks of carbohydrates whose ratios are important for dictating the chemical properties of starches. This allows for the formation of stronger gels to ensure the product doesn't crumble, as well as better emulsification and stability of products without needing gums. Green banana flour is also high in something called resistant starch, which is a form of starch the resists digestion. Most starch is digested in the small intestine. Resistant starch however actually passes through the small intestine and gets digested in the large intestine, therefore achieving a probiotic effect and is able to colonize the good bacteria in the gut!

Besides being able to reduce the number of ingredients on a label while maintaining the same properties as traditional gluten or gum containing products, green banana flour also reduces food waste. To put this in perspective, 20% of commercially grown bananas don’t make it to market because of discoloration or wrong size or shape. However, since we don’t need the banana to be pretty before it gets mashed up into a powder, green banana flour is great for eliminating food waste! Also, green banana flour is currently commercially available AND a lot cheaper than other thickeners, like guar gum.

Currently, green banana flour is not widely used in the United States. This is most likely because companies that use gums might find it difficult or initially more expensive to transition to a gum alternative, and would want to wait until it is 100% proven to have consumer acceptance, especially with respect to taste. However, green banana flour has gained widespread acceptance in areas outside of the US, especially in Central American and West African countries, where it is used as a cheaper substitute to wheat flour.

Who knew gluten was so important for structure, or what ingredients have to be added to make up for its loss in gluten free products? After all, wouldn’t you rather have LESS ingredients with the same great taste and texture? Bakery products made with green banana flour may not be available in the US yet, but keep an eye out for this promising, gluten-free alternative!

The Lowdown on Sprouted, Plant-Based Protein Powders

The Lowdown on Sprouted, Plant-Based Protein Powders

By Jennie Monfried

The plant based protein market is booming and expected to reach $1 billion (US) by 2022. Consumers believe that consuming plant-based protein sources improves their overall health and nutrition as well as helps to manage their weight. For many, looking for protein supplements at the grocery store or online can be very overwhelming, and with so many different brands, types, blends, names… how can anyone keep up? And to make things more confusing, some of the plant-based proteins are sprouted. What the heck is a sprouted protein?

Sprouting a plant-based protein is an easy three-step process that improves the digestibility of the product through breaking down complex compounds and allowing consumers to absorb more of its vitamins and minerals.  Before the sprouting process begins, the protein source must be chosen. This source could be grains such as rice or wheat, legumes such as peas or soybeans, nuts such as almonds or walnuts, or seeds such as chia or pumpkin. The first step to sprouting is steeping, in which the plant-based protein source is soaked in water and then drained several times, to prepare it for germination. Step two is germination, in which the protein source is held in special vessels that promote sprout formation . The final step is drying, where the protein source gets dried prior to it being made into a protein powder.

So now we know the process, but what exactly is a sprout? A sprout is a shoot that grows from a germinated seed, essentially the beginning of plant growth. The sprouting process improves the digestibility of the protein source because during the sprouting process, complex starches are broken down, making the protein easier for people to digest, which otherwise could lead to gas and bloating . Also, during the sprouting process, enzymes (special molecules that speed up reactions) are released to help better digest the plant-based protein. A greater absorption of vitamins and minerals occur by sprouting because of the decrease in anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are compounds from plants that reduce the absorption of good nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Many of the anti-nutrients are water-soluble, and thus dissolve when the plant-based protein is soaked, during the first step of sprouting. Remaining anti-nutrients, such as phytate, are broken down during germination. Phytate is considered an anti-nutritional factor because it binds to important minerals (like calcium) and slows their absorption.  The breakdown of anti-nutritional factors is due to the changes (such as the sprout forming) that take place in the protein source, leading to the degradation of anti-nutrients.

So the lowdown is: sprouted, plant-based protein powders are in fact more beneficial for consumers.  Plant-based, protein powder blends provide all essential amino acids (building blocks of protein), making a complete protein source. This is important because plant based protein sources usually lack one or more essential amino acids, whereas animal sources of protein provide all essential amino acids.  

By sprouting the plant-based protein source, we get more bang for our buck with the SPROUT! Not only that but, the sprouting process increases digestibility and absorption of vitamins and minerals. So next time you shop for protein powder, you know the exact kind to get!

Geoff Kutnick Shares Digital Strategies at Networking Night 2018

Geoff Kutnick Shares Digital Strategies at Networking Night 2018

by Rowena Zahn

Faculty, industry professional, and students at Food Science Networking Night

Old friends and acquaintances were reunited and new connections between industry professionals, students, and Chapman faculty were made at the recent Food Science Networking Night.  Attendees were able to mingle before being greeted by Dr. Elaine Schwartz, Assistant Dean of Schmid College, who highlighted The Keck Effect and the opening of the new science building in the Fall of 2018.  King’s Hawaiian sponsored the event and Director of Baking Science, Torrey Nelson, spoke to the crowd about the culture of King’s Hawaiian that is steeped in family tradition. He described “ohana,” which means family, which was extended at the event by the company’s sharing of their trademark rolls with all attendees.  It was hard to miss the smiling faces who happily brought King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls home!

Director of Baking Science, Torrey Nelson, from the event’s sponsor, King’s Hawaiian

Geoff Kutnick presented on digital strategies that Halo Top and Nissin Cup Noodles have used to engage their customers.  He spoke about various tactics that center on social media engagement which have set those brands apart from the rest of the space.  Halo Top and Nissin Cup Noodles have participated in festivals, offered prizes and giveaways, and debunked the myth that traditional marketing is the only way to increase sales of ice cream and ramen noodles.  Kutnick encouraged the audience to be open to new ways to promote products and offered outside-the-box examples to help industry professionals stay current.

Featured speaker, Geoff Kutnick, CEO of FoodBeast