ARS | Publication request: BAKING PROPERTIES OF ENCAPSULATED MILKFAT

Submitted to: Food Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 5, 1995
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Surpluses of milkfat have been steadily increasing world-wide as consumers reduce the fat and cholesterol contents of their diets. New approaches to utilization of milkfat are needed. One approach is to transform milkfat into powdered form by spray drying with functional encapsulating agents such as sugar or all-purpose wheat flour for use in baked goods. The ease with which the powder may be blended with other dry ingredients and the convenience of storage are obvious benefits of this process. We have successfully substituted our spray dried powders for traditional shortening in muffins, biscuits and cookies. Volume increases were observed for the three products made with milkfat encapsulated in all-purpose flour. Preliminary sensory taste panel results with muffins containing these new ingredients showed that they were rated significantly better in flavor and texture than those containing ordinary shortening. These results can aid in providing the dairy industry with a new outlet for surplus butter.

Technical Abstract: Spray-dried powders containing milkfat were prepared from stable emulsions containing 50% butteroil and sucrose or all-purpose flour as encapsulant. Powders were successfully substituted for vegetable shortening in cookies, muffins and biscuits. Increase in volume in both the batter and the baked product were observed (7 to 41%) in flour-containing powders. Texture profile analysis showed significant differences between the controls and the experimental products. Substitution of the spray dried powder for conventional shortening yielded biscuits and muffins of approximately equal textural quality, while substitution of the powder containing sucrose as the encapsulant resulted in muffins and cookies of poorer texture. Spray-dried powders enhance the flavor of the baked products; increase in volume allows for significant savings in the amount of ingredients used, while the ease in handling dried shortening powders is a significant advantage over those that are soft and sticky.