Puratos Partnership Looks to Enzymes for Bread with Prebiotic Effect

The technology developed under the collaboration makes the natural fibres of cereals, such as wheat or rye, more accessible to digestion by beneficial bacteria in the large intestine. As a consequence the activated fibres act as prebiotic substrates for the intestinal flora.

02/02/09 Bakery ingredient supplier Puratos Group and technology development company Fugeia have disclosed a partnership aimed at developing bread and pastry products with enhanced digestive health benefits.

The technology developed under the collaboration makes the natural fibres of cereals, such as wheat or rye, more accessible to digestion by beneficial bacteria in the large intestine. As a consequence the activated fibres act as prebiotic substrates for the intestinal flora. What makes the technology unique is that it activates during the baking process the fibres that are already naturally present in cereal flours, without requiring the addition of external sources of fibre.

This is an enzyme technology based around mobilizing naturally present fibres, by which fibres become more active and have health benefits”, Filip Arnaut, R&D Director in Puratos told FoodIngredientsFirst. “It is based on the use of xylanases which are already being used in bakery. But this is a very specific type of xylanases and we have submitted a patent”, he explained.

As part of the agreement between the Puratos Group and Fugeia, bread with activated cereal fibre is currently being tested in clinical trials on human volunteers conducted by the University of Leuven and Fugeia. Arnaut said that the results will be published in a peer reviewed journal before the summer. When they have communicated the final outcome of the clinical studies, they will submit to a health claim, which Arnaut predicted would take another year or so.

It is still unclear whether the ingredient technology would have to be labeled on pack. “We will have to wait on the EFSA opinion, but you normally would not expect extra labeling. The fibres are already there and are in many cases present. This is one of the main advantages of the technology,” Arnaut explained.

Arnaut noted that another key advantage was that the technology could be applied to any type of bread, with no limitations on whether it is rye or wheat. Prebiotic pastries could potentially even be developed, but this would not be an initial focus. “Pastries contain less flour than breads, and while it is not being excluded, it will not be the focus. The focus will really be on breads that already have consistent healthy properties. Wholegrain bread is a perfect match for example”, Arnaut commented. In terms of price, he said that “expense will not be a limit on the application of the technology”.

Puratos said that the collaboration fits well within their continuous efforts to develop innovative products, in particular products with a health bonus.

Fugeia is a technology development company focused on innovative and added value food ingredient solutions. The company was established in February 2008 as a spin-off from the University of Leuven and the University College Sint Lieven, and has its research facilities in Leuven, Belgium. It is backed by an international consortium of investors, comprising Tate & Lyle Ventures, Agri Investment Fund, Gemma Frisius Fund, KBC Arkiv, and Fortis Private Equity Arkimedes. Willem Broekaert, co-founder and managing director of Fugeia, commented: “We are extremely pleased with the alliance with Puratos. Puratos’ deep knowledge of the baking industry has been instrumental for guiding our product development efforts towards a market-compatible concept in a very short time frame.”

Jan Delcour, Fugeia’s co-founder and Professor at the University of Leuven, added: “It is very rewarding to see that this technology, which was originally developed by our research team at the University of Leuven and transferred to Fugeia, is now well on its way to reach the market. This illustrates once more the value of integrating the full knowledge chain from basic over applied research to, finally, industrial applications that are beneficial to the consumer”.

by Robin Wyers