GERMANY – Flour treatment specialist MC Mühlenchemie has announced the expansion of its Alphamalt Fresh product line with two new versions designed to extend the freshness of industrially produced bread significantly. 

The new products, Alphamalt Fresh & Soft and Fresh & Spring, offer tailored solutions to meet the diverse freshness requirements of bakeries and consumers. 

They enhance attributes such as crumb moisture, softness, and elasticity. This innovation helps reduce food waste and makes bread production more economical and sustainable.

Consumers increasingly demand fresh foods with long shelf lives and consistent quality. Quality in baked goods is determined by appearance, flavor, aroma, crispiness, and crust. 

Key quality criteria also include the elasticity and softness of the crumb, which tend to deteriorate during transportation and storage due to the retrogradation or partial recrystallization of the starch component amylopectin.

The new Alphamalt Fresh products improve freshness attributes by preventing starch recrystallization, thereby keeping the crumb soft for longer periods. 

During baking, smaller amylose molecules migrate from the starch grains and recrystallize, while larger amylopectin molecules remain non-crystalline but eventually crystallize at low temperatures, causing crumb hardening. 

Alphamalt Fresh enzyme preparations reduce amylopectin crystallization, resulting in short-chain dextrins that interact with remaining starch structures to prevent further crystallization. 

In line with its slogan of ‘Understanding Flour,’ Muhlenchemie provides that when combined with emulsifiers or enzymes that enhance bread volume and structure immediately after baking, freshness can be preserved for up to three weeks.

Freshness preservation varies among bakers and consumers, primarily revolving around crumb properties. Alphamalt Fresh & Soft combines crumb softness and moistness for a fresh chewing sensation even days after baking. 

Alphamalt Fresh & Spring focuses on enhancing crumb elasticity, providing a good mouthfeel and stability, often described as “hard on the outside, soft on the inside.” 

Both products are suitable for yeast-raised baked goods like sandwich bread and hamburger buns and can be adjusted for desired freshness levels. 

MC Mühlenchemie also offers enzyme-based solutions for extended freshness in special applications like tortillas, flatbreads, and cake flours.

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