Historically, baked products often included a source of fat to soften the crumb.  As consumer tastes and preferences changes, bakeries often replaced fat with synthetically manufactured crumb softening ingredients (emulsifiers), which although effective, were often manufactured from Palm derived fats, chemicals and heat and always carried an ‘e’ number.

Consumer preferences and attitudes keep changing: The desire for baked goods containing fewer synthetic ingredients (and ‘e’ numbers) continues, together with the ongoing global effort to reduce food waste. This has resulted in the growing use of enzymes in baked goods!

Enzymes are not a new discovery – our own digestive system (starting with saliva) contains many enzyme types. Put simply, enzymes change organic material down into smaller components. Every enzyme type has a preference to what they work on (the substrate), and the conditions (eg acidity / temperature) they operate in.  In the case of crumb softening enzymes, it is gelatinised starch that is worked on to delay the rate of re-crystallisation (staling).

Over the last 3 decades, many more enzymes that work with starches, protein and fats used in baked goods have become available and their benefits realised.

Each of our durOfresh Crumb Softness Enhancers delivers benefits that include:

1. Delayed staling (crumb firming and crumbliness) enabling shelf life to be extended,
2. Enhanced eating experience (bite, softness, moistness and richness),
3. Possible replacement of e471 and other synthetic emulsifiers to achieve cleaner recipe requirements,
4. Cleaner declaration – enzymes do not carry an ‘e’ number and as they are considered a process aid, their declaration to the consumer is optional.

Bakenology offers a standard range of durOfresh Crumb Freshness Enhancers for a wide range of bakery products but also specialises in developing customised softening blends to make your own product stand out in a competitive market.