Glucono-delta-lactone as a sustainable alternative to phosphate in baked goods

Consumers are paying more attention than ever to sustainability and health when shopping for food. For producing good doughs that are both free of phosphate and low in sodium, we offer glucono-delta-lactone produced by fermentation as an established alternative.

Do you really need sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) as the acid part of baking powders to make good dough?

The answer is no; an established alternative is glucono-delta-lactone (GdL). The reaction rates of the most commonly used SAPP types (SAPP 10, 15, 28, and 40) can even be emulated using different compositions of monosodium citrate, GdL, or encapsulated GdL.

Why are consumers becoming less willing to accept phosphates in food?

The most commonly given reasons for rejecting them are sustainability and health concerns, given that consuming too much of the elements phosphorus and sodium has been associated with cardiovascular disease and kidney problems. The production of phosphorus causes severe environmental impacts such as soil erosion and disruption of local ecosystems. The high water consumption puts a strain on limited water resources, and chemical substances used in the production process further pollute the soil and water. The largest supplier of phosphates is Morocco. For the residents and workers in this industry, the production and processing of phosphorus is a health and social disaster.

Phosphates in baked goods can be very readily substituted

The good news is that phosphates can be eliminated entirely from a formula. Also, up to 33 percent of the sodium content can be reduced, which has a positive outcome on the Nutri-Score. When sodium bicarbonate is furthermore replaced with potassium bicarbonate in baking powders, a sodium reduction of up to 68 percent can be achieved.

The three versions of encapsulated glucono-delta-lactone

In addition to its pure form, GdL is also produced in a number of coated forms in order to prevent reactions from occurring before baking. GdL is coated with hydrogenated sunflower oil, in a process of either drum coating or total coating, and the result is encapsulated GdL (eGdL).  It depends on the dough or the baking application, which of the GdL types – with no coating, drum coating, or total coating – has the most suitable properties for optimal results. Compared to SAPP, GdL already has better flowability and storage stability, and coating improves these further still.

The following images show a comparison of the baking volume of muffins with and without SAPP28. GdL or eGdL was used for baking the two variants without SAPP28. This clearly shows that absolutely comparable results can be achieved in terms of baking volume.