ARS | Publication request: Functional characterization of steam jet-cooked buckwheat flour as a fat replacer in cake-baking

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 3, 2010
Publication Date: July 13, 2010
Citation: Min, B., Lee, S., Yoo, S., Inglett, G.E., Lee, S. 2010. Functional characterization of steam jet-cooked buckwheat flour as a fat replacer in cake-baking. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 90:2208-2213.

Interpretive Summary: In this research, we found that with rising consumer awareness of obesity, the food industry has a market-driven impetus to develop low-fat or fat-free foods with acceptable taste and texture. Buckwheat flour was thus subjected to steam jet-cooking and the performance of the resulting product in cake baking was evaluated as a fat replacer. The suspensions of steam jet-cooked buckwheat flour, when shortening in cakes was replaced with steam jet-cooked buckwheat gels, the specific gravity of cake batters significantly increased changing the cake volume. However, shortening replacement with steam jet-cooked buckwheat up to 20% by weight produced cakes as soft as the control without volume loss. When buckwheat flour was thermo-mechanically modified by steam jet-cooking, it was successfully incorporated into cake formulations for shortening up to 20% by weight, producing low-fat cakes with comparable volume and textural properties to the control. Since buckwheat flour contains several functional substances with beneficial health effects, the use of buckwheat flour as a fat replacer can allow the food industry to develop new food products containing less fat as well as more functional substances, which consequently offers consumers extensive potential of enjoying healthy diets.

Technical Abstract: Fancy buckwheat flour was thermo-mechanically modified by steam jet-cooking and the resulting product was evaluated as a fat replacer for the use in cakes with reduced-fat content. Steam jet-cooking caused the integrity of buckwheat flour components to be disrupted, significantly changing the physical properties of the buckwheat flour. Specifically, the steam jet-cooked buckwheat flour exhibited high water hydration property, that is, viscosity-forming ability which appeared to be functional as a fat replacer in baked goods. When steam jet-cooked buckwheat was incorporated in cake formulations, shortening could be successfully replaced with steam jet-cooked buckwheat up to 20% by weight with comparable volume and textural properties to the control. Since buckwheat flour contains several functional substances with beneficial health effects, the use of buckwheat flour as a fat replacer can allow the food industry to develop new food products containing less fat as well as more functional substances, which consequently offers consumers extensive potential of enjoying healthy diets.