Lesaffre Introduces Solution for Reducing Sodium in Baking

GUSTAL is a combination of special yeast extract and dried sour dough that acts as a flavour enhancer. When used at the recommended rate, the total salt level in the final product may be reduced by 25%, without loss of flavour.

27/01/09 French based ingredient supplier Lesaffre has been highlighting the potential of two new ingredients for the bakery sector at the Sirha trade show in Lyon.

Gustal is a patented product that has been formulated for customers wishing to produce reduced salt products, without compromising flavour of the final product. GUSTAL is a combination of special yeast extract and dried sour dough that acts as a flavour enhancer. When used at the recommended rate, the total salt level in the final product may be reduced by 25%, without loss of flavour.

“Bakery manufacturers in France have agreed to reduce the amount of salt in their products by at least 20% by 2010,” Gerard Gazzarrini at Lesaffre told FoodIngredientsFirst. “With Gustal a reduction of even 25-30% is possible without negative effects for bakers.”

GUSTAL does not suppress yeast activity, so salt reduction should be accompanied by an adjustment to the yeast level. GUSTAL has been designed for bread products but may also be used to reduce salt levels in various other products such as pies, soups and sauces. “Bakers often face troubles with dough when reducing sodium. It becomes sticky and there are problems with colour and taste. With Gustal there are no negative effects during processing or of course on the consumer product”, Gazzarrini added.

Lesaffre also recently introduced XtendLife for the the preservation of pre-packaged bread-making products. The ingredient serves as a new alternative to the use of artificial preservatives and improves the shelf life of products. Xtendlife is a formulation based on the preservation properties of fermented flour combined with an acidity regulator. It guarantees the absence of mould in sandwich bread up to the use-by date, regardless of the time of year or the prevailing climatic conditions.

Xtendlife is available in three different formulation types, each adapted to differing requirements. “XtendLife G first guarantees an absence of mould, and makes it possible to replace the preservative. XtendLife A makes it possible to extend the shelf life. Finally XtendLife M combines an extended shelf life with greater softness”, Gazzarrini explained.

Gazzarrini pointed out that tests on a bread formulation showed an average shelf-life of seven days. With XtendLife A, this increased to 12 days. An average of 19 days was recorded with the bread and 0.4% preservative. The combination of this same dose of preservative and XtendLife A had a shelf-life of 24 days.

Xtendlife extends the shelf life of pre-packaged bread-making products with no need to increase the dosage of your usual preservatives, reducing the delivery frequency to your sales outlets and opening up new markets.

Xtendlife is not considered as a preservative. Its labelling states for instance "dehydrated fermented flour, acidity corrector... ". This is a real benefit at a time when consumers are paying increasing attention to what they eat.

XtendLife was one of the 32 innovations selected during the Europain show last year. It took the award thanks to its originality and to the alternative that it offers to traditional preservatives.

by Robin Wyers in Lyon