Better bread with BOTs
Europeans munch their way through over 30 million tonnes of bread every year, and a growing proportion of this amount is produced using Bake Off Technology (BOT). In BOT, pre-baked bread is produced on an industrial scale and delivered to small, local outlets where the baking process is completed. However, making bread with BOT uses a lot of energy, and may also affect the nutritional and textural qualities of the bread. For the past three years, the EU-funded FRESHBAKE ('Freshly baked breads with improvement of nutritional quality and low energy demanding for the benefit of the consumer and of the environment') project has investigated how BOTs can be improved to consume less energy while producing top quality bread. The team found that there was considerable scope to reduce the amount of energy used in BOTs. The project partners have now designed prototype equipment and technologies to dramatically slash the amount of energy needed by these processes. The new methods also improve the quality of the final product, by preventing the crust from flaking, for example. Crust quality matters; a survey carried out by the project partners revealed that 62% of consumers favour freshly-baked bread with a crunchy crust. Other consumers are more interested in the health properties of the bread. Here, FRESHBAKE research reveals that frozen partially baked bread has a much lower glycaemic index than conventional bread. In addition to reducing the energy consumption of BOT, the project partners are developing innovative ingredients that are low in chemicals, and creating breads with enhanced nutritional value. In this way, they are helping to deal with the problem of cereal intolerance such as coeliac disease, which affects 0.1% of people in Europe. FRESHBAKE, which was funded with EUR 2 million under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), is one of many that will be featured at the EU's Research Connection Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, from 7 to 8 May. Sponsored by the Czech Council Presidency of the European Union, the conference brings together scientists, engineers, and members of small- and medium-sized enterprises who are interested in participating in EU research programmes. Research Connection 2009 will feature hands-on sessions with researchers participating in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and will introduce the main European political players in the area of research funding. The conference will provide guidance on getting involved with EU research programmes, and will highlight the priorities and rules of three major ongoing research initiatives: FP7, the Structural Funds and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP). For those who are already involved in the EU's research initiatives, the conference will offer sessions on how to maximise your participation; these will be organised by the participants themselves. The event, organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research, will be also used as a way for participants to feed back directly on their experience with EU research initiatives. The information will then help to stimulate future involvement and networking in the research community. Registration information can be found by following the link below.
Countries
Czechia