DOI: 10.1094/CC-82-0328 |  VIEW ARTICLE

Sensory, Mechanical, and Microscopic Evaluation of Staling in Low-Protein and Gluten-Free Breads.

Gene J. Ahlborn (1), Oscar A. Pike (1,2), Suzanne B. Hendrix (3), William M. Hess (4), and Clayton S. Huber (1). (1) Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University, S221 ESC, Provo, UT 84602. (2) Corresponding author. Phone: 801-422-6671. Fax: 801-422-0258. E-mail: <oscar_pike@byu.edu> (3) Center for Statistical Consultation and Collaborative Research, Brigham Young University, 223 TMCB, Provo, UT 84602. (4) Department of Integrative Biology, Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB, Provo, UT 84602. Cereal Chem. 82(3):328-335. Accepted February 14, 2005. Copyright 2005 AACC International, Inc.

Staling over a 120-hr period was compared in a gluten-free rice bread, a low-protein starch bread, and two gluten-containing breads (standard wheat and added-protein wheat) using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), critical stress values obtained by mechanical compression testing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The gluten-free rice bread had the highest QDA scores for both moistness and overall freshness, whereas the low-protein starch bread had the lowest scores for both attributes. Differences in critical stress values over the 120-hr period demonstrated that the gluten-free rice bread had the greatest resistance to mechanical collapse, indicating the least structural damage, whereas the low-protein starch bread had the least resistance to mechanical collapse. Both wheat breads had QDA moistness and freshness scores, and critical stress values that ranged between the gluten-free rice and low-protein starch breads. SEM showed the formulation containing rice, egg and milk proteins, xanthan gum, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose created a bicontinuous matrix with starch fragments, similar to gluten.