The use of microfluidization for the production of xanthan and citrus fiber-based gluten-free corn breads

Corn gluten meal is an underutilized byproduct due to its hydrophobic nature although it contains high amount of protein. The primary objectives of this study were to enhance the water holding capacity of this protein-rich byproduct with microfluidization technique and use it in bread-making formulations instead of gluten with the addition of different supplements. The increase in stability, surface area, and consequently water holding capacity with microfluidization resulted in the formation of compatible and homogeneous dough structure for gluten-free bread formulations. The dough exhibited linear viscoelastic behavior at strains lower than 0.5%. Elastic moduli were higher than viscous moduli for all formulations, meaning solid-like behavior. The addition of xanthan and citrus fiber resulted in higher moduli values. The decrease in particle size and the emergence of new tissues resulted in revealing of carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, responsible for the yellow color of corn gluten meal. The breads produced from microfluidized samples had 1.19-1.27 times higher specific volumes than untreated samples of the same formulation. Similar improvements (1.03-1.22) were obtained with the addition of xanthan and citrus fiber. Both microfluidization treatment and the addition of supplements led to lower hardness, and higher cohesiveness and springiness values.