New enzymes improve old wheat, says Cognis

Cognis says that its latest Nutrilife ME 01 and Lamemul MM 01 products can considerably improve flour quality, while avoiding the expensive and technically complex process of blending wheat with good gluten properties. Company spokesperson Andreas Funke said that the enzymes' launch allowed processors a competitive alternative in the market for premium-quality flour. "Our new products remove the need for manufacturers to engage in complex flour selection and combination processes,"​ he stated. "They simplify process flows in flour mills, and reduce the use of costly hard wheat flour." ​​High grain prices continue to create difficulties for the bakery sector, which is increasingly having to protect its own profit margins. Along with porfitabiltiy pressures, bakers are also having to meet demands for higher product beyond simply addressing taste, including texture and even volume. Funke told BakeryandSnacks.com that the using the enzymes is considerably cheaper, therefore, than sourcing high quality hard wheat flour from the US and Canada, which is currently a major cost driver for many bakers. Both enzymes can be used in relatively small amounts of about 0.01 per cent in formulations to create benefits, compared to around the 20 - 30 per cent levels higher quality wheat required to improve baked goods, Funke claims. The Nutrilife ME 01 product is a hemicellulase-based enzyme designed to give dough a stable, fuller volume, which can be easily processed in manufacturing equipment, according to the company. Lamemul MM 01 combines monoglyceride with enzymes designed for improving product volume. Cognis says that product is ideally suited for flours used in sandwich bread or hamburger buns that rely on crumb softness. Use of the enzymes also requires no additional labelling on products, as the active structure of the products were destroyed by the high levels of heat used in the baking process, according to Funke. He added that both products were available worldwide.