The way to beat sub-standard wheat

Mühlenchemie has developed flour improvers that can produce bakeable flours from substandard lots of wheat.

Grain that has been damaged by bugs exudes an enzyme that breaks down protein and thus damages the gluten, making the flour difficult to process, as the dough lacks elasticity.

"With the aid of special compounds of active ingredients you have to strengthen the gluten, reduce the activity of the protein-degrading enzymes as far as possible and improve the baking properties of the dough in general," says Dr Lutz Popper, Mühlenchemie's head of research and development.

In tests, Mühlenchemie additives Alphamalt BE 19124 and Alphamalt WT 1 produced "excellent results in respect of dough properties, increased volume yield and the quality of the crumb". Dr Popper said: "The combination of enzymes, ascorbic acid and acidity regulators made it possible to use a large percentage of bug-damaged flour with flour from sound grain to make marketable bakery products."