Quality
Ingredient diversity in gluten-free foods – function & benefits
Food additives are technologically effective substances that are used specifically to support the quality, shelf life and sensory properties of food. They generally have no nutritional value of their own and are not considered classic ingredients, but they play an important role, especially in the production of gluten-free products.
What ingredients are in gluten-free products?
Gluten-free flours do not contain gluten, which in conventional dough provides elasticity, volume and a moist crumb by forming a stable gluten structure and binding water and fermentation gases.
The absence of gluten therefore affects both the structure and taste of gluten-free baked goods. The special functional properties of gluten cannot be replaced by a single ingredient. In order to obtain a product that is both sensorily appealing and meets nutritional requirements, a carefully balanced combination of high-quality ingredients is necessary.
In addition to functional ingredients such as fibre, vegetable proteins and starches, technological additives are also used. These specifically support the dough structure, texture formation and stability of the end product and help to maintain the high quality of gluten-free products.
What is the purpose of additives? - Quality through function
Additives perform different tasks depending on their functional class.
- The most important ones include:
- Supporting safety and freshness
- Improving taste, texture and colour
- Extending shelf life
The Codex Alimentarius distinguishes between 27 functional classes, including emulsifiers, antioxidants and thickeners.
Responsible use of additives
Dr. Schär's Quality Commitment, for example, promises the responsible use of food additives: the products are manufactured without the addition of artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. Instead, functional ingredients such as thickeners, emulsifiers and fibre are used in a targeted manner to achieve the desired product properties.
Most commonly used food additives as substitutes for gluten:
- Gums (e.g. guar gum, xanthan gum)
- Cellulose and cellulose derivatives
- Starch
All additives used in food are regularly reviewed and evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These re-evaluations are based on the latest scientific findings and serve to ensure quality and safety.
Sources
- World Health Organisation: WHO. (2023). Food additives.
- EFSA Journal 2018: Re-evaluation of celluloses including HPMC (E 464) – DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5047EFSA Journal 2015: Safety of change in specifications for HPMC (E 464) – DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4088
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). (2024). Re-evaluation of guar gum (E 412) as a food additive in foods for infants below
- Nascimento AB, Fiates GMR et al. Availability, cost and nutritional composition of gluten-free products
- Stantiall SE, Serventi L. Nutritional and sensory challenges of gluten-free bakery products: a review. International J Food Sci & Nutr 2017 ; 28:1-10