How OH is a Revolutionary Baking Technology in the Food Industry?

Technological advancements, from robotics and extrusion to data analytics and new learning techniques, are adding value in modern bakeries.

FREMONT, CA: Over the past few years, enhancements in baking equipment has accounted for some of the most noticeable technological transformations in the bakery. Recently, a technique known as Ohmic Heating (OH) has successfully made a gluten-free bread, in which the bread itself acts as a conductor for electricity.

The scientists from Switzerland and Austria made use of electric shocks for heating the gluten-free bread from inside, which resulted in saving a considerable amount of energy and time in comparison to traditional baking in which heat was applied from outside.

OH produces superior bread because of the volumetric heating principle and quicker heating rates.

Impact on physical, nutritional properties of GF bread

The volume of the Ohmic bread was 10 percent to 30 percent higher in contrast to the control bread. In addition, it possessed a crumb that was softer and more elastic and the pores were smaller and evenly distributed.

The tests conducted using in-vitro methods revealed that OH did not affect the nutritional aspects of the bread. In fact, on slightly decreasing the starch digestibility, the bread resulted in higher resistant starch content, which is related to numerous health benefits.

The best part is that the bread was prepared with less time and energy, which is significantly beneficial for the manufacturing industry.

The color of the Ohmic bread was much lighter as compared to the control bread. However, the researchers pointed it to be a Maillard reaction.

The benefit of instantaneous heat of OH

Traditional baking’s slow heating is a significant drawback in manufacturing gluten-free bread.

Wheat protein or gluten, the element responsible for the structure of the dough and its expansion is absent in the gluten-free items and products. Therefore, starch is typically substituted. The starch becomes gelatinized because of the heat, which adds to the bread's structure.

However, a much bigger portion of water is required by gluten-free bread formulations. The outcome is lower dough viscosity and makes it more liquid and thinner.

Researchers discovered that gas retention was reinforced because of a better structure fixation at an early phase of baking, which resulted from the quick and uniform heating of the whole dough mass during OH, specifically advantaging the gluten-free bread’s production.

The generation of heat within the complete dough is instant. This is the biggest benefit that Ohmic heat technology offers. The scientists are looking forward to making more improvements in it for better results.

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