Comparative characterization of the gluten and fructan contents of breads from industrial and artisan bakeries: a study of food products in the Spanish market

FODMAP Content Like-by-like Comparison in Spanish Gluten-free and Gluten-containing Cereal-based Products

Gluten-free foods (GF) availability on supermarket shelves is growing and it is expected to continue expanding in the years ahead. These foods have been linked to a lower content of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs), molecules that trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in sensitive persons. In this study, the FODMAP content of 25 cereal-based GF foods in Spain (breakfast cereals, pasta, bread, biscuits, bakery products, and dough and puff pastry) and 25 gluten-containing equivalents (GC) available in the same supermarket were analysed and compared. Lactose, fructose, glucose, sorbitol, mannitol, raffinose, stachyose and fructans were quantified. In a like-by-like analysis, GF foods were found to generally contain fewer FODMAPs than their GC counterparts. The ingredients used in the manufacture of GF cereal-based foods may contribute to this fact. When the individually wrapped size was considered, the proportion of samples classified as high-FODMAPs in GC and GF foods showed a trend towards fewer samples in the GF. However, not all the GF samples were low-FODMAP. Altogether, our findings provide essential information for FODMAP content databases of GF products in Spain.

Wheat-Free and Nutritious Bread and 'Coricos' Made with Mesoamerican Ancestral Corn, Amaranth, Sweet Potato and Chia

People with wheat-related disorders require wheat-free and good quality baked goods. We prepared wheat-free bread and cookies (coricos) with flour blends of corn, amaranth, orange sweet potato and chia. Sweet potato flour or puree and amaranth flour were prepared and their properties evaluated. Blends were optimized for dough hardness and cohesiveness by response surface methodology, with a central composite rotatory design. Bread was prepared with optimal blends plus 1.2% chia mucilage, and alternatively used sweet potato puree. The optimized blend was 57:34:9 (corn:amaranth:sweet potato flours). Coricos were made with the blend instead of only corn as traditionally. Chemical composition, texture profile, fiber, and gluten content of the products were analyzed. The breads' crust was uniform, crunchy and golden, and the crumb was homogeneous, with 41% specific volume and 60% size of the wheat bread. Coricos presented a darker golden color than those of 100% corn. Protein content was similar (~ 12% d.w.) between the blend and wheat breads, with better chemical score for the blend one. Blend bread and coricos had 2-4% more dietary fiber and higher content of bioactive compounds than their wheat or corn counterparts. Blend bread was comparable to its counterpart in chewiness while coricos were softer. Gluten content was < 20 ppm in blend products; therefore, in addition to nutritional quality, they are safe for people with wheat-related disorders.