Veripan has announced what it claims is a stunning breakthrough in gluten-free bakery products with its all-purpose flour mix Panafree. Finally, the company says, bakers can use an “all-in-one” solution for their gluten-free (GF) bakery products - hence, no more bread with a dry and crumbly texture, a poor mouthfeel and off-flavours and that is completely natural!

Veripan researchers have invented a natural way to make gluten-free breads which they claim have much better technological and sensorial quality. Hence, GF dough is easy-to-handle and doesn’t resemble a cake batter. Furthermore the GF dough can be shaped and freely-baked.

Panafree is said to make gluten-free bakery products with a desirable appearance, texture, flavour, and mouthfeel properties. As a result, final quality is claimed to be similar to standard bakery products containing gluten but without the use of any additives.

Now, Veripan says, it’s possible to make a whole array of yeast-raised GF bakery goods like breads, rolls, bagels, tortillas, pizza, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fried batters and muffins.

Panafree is said to be easy-to-use for automatic bakery equipment, traditional craft and home baking, and to be a perfect option for consumers with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

The Veripan invention allows the combination of various known gluten-free ingredients to form elastic dough without the presence of gluten. Panafree is a mixture of water, baker’s yeast, and tailored gluten-free flours and starches. Because the dough has a gluten-like structure, it is possible to entrap the carbon dioxide from yeast fermentation in the dough matrix. Consequently, the resulting gluten-free products are said to look good and to be delicious and nutritious.

Panafree is now available on a commercial scale in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia and ANZ.

“We are very happy to serve the global bakery industry with this stunning innovation,” said CEO Meiert J. Grootes.

“We are very pleased to bring the innovation of Panafree flour mix to North America. The healthy ingredients and superior functionality make Panafree an ideal addition to our innovative line of better-for-you food products. Finally, Panafree flour mix is incredibly versatile without compromise in taste or texture,” said Nadja Piatka, CEO of Holista Foods.

“I am delighted to welcome the Panafree flour mix to our portfolio of innovative food ingredients,” said Ulrich Zuber, CEO of Unipektin Ingredients. “Panafree flour mix is an ideal supplement to our current portfolio of clean-label and healthy natural fibres. Above all, this new offering is a great option for consumers to eat gluten-free baked products, without compromising on the culinary experience.”