DuPont Nutrition & Health has overcome sensory challenges in added-fibre bread and sponge cakes by using combinations of soluble and insoluble fibre. Drawing on its fibre ingredients – DuPont Danisco, Litesse, and Fibrim – the company can bring new opportunities for bakers to produce healthier products with high appeal.

Fibre has become one of the ingredients that consumers regularly look for on product packaging. However, efforts to develop bread and cakes with a high-fibre claim have hit a wall of sensory issues, such as reduced crumb softness, poor texture and low volume. In an attempt to overcome these problems, bakery application specialist DuPont has been carrying out a series of tests.

The latest trials show that combinations of the soluble fibre Litesse and insoluble fibre Fibrim produce the best results, giving bread and sponge cakes a volume similar to a control recipe, along with a comparable crumb softness and resilience over a 14-day shelf life. Fibrim also contributes to improved surface browning.

Xue Si-Ying, bakery group innovation manager and application specialist at DuPont Nutrition & Health, comments, "This is an exciting finding. We can now overcome the volume and texture challenges that we used to have with high-fibre breads and cakes. This means consumers can enjoy the goodness of fibre in baked goods without having to compromise on product quality."

A fibre-rich diet can help avert constipation, hypertension and the growth of intestinal pathogens. However, despite extensive awareness campaigns by national health authorities, fibre intake in most parts of the world is still much lower than the 25-30g recommended daily intake (RDI). Added-fibre bakery products with high consumer appeal can play a part in reversing this trend.