• Many flours, such as those made from rice, corn, sorghum, etc., are used to provide gluten-free substitutes to those who cannot safely consume it. Until now, wheat flour, usually associated with gluten, was not even considered.
• Now there is a new substitute: Bread Free wheat flour. The product is nutritionally similar to wheat flour that contains gluten.
Spanish biotech start-up Bread Free is the first company which produces gluten-free wheat flour. Bread Free flour is an alternative to the many gluten-free flours available on the market, having their benefits - which makes it suitable for people with celiac disease - but at the same time keeping all the organoleptic properties of conventional wheat flour.
The start-up formed by a group of young entrepreneurs has succeeded, through an innovative process, in processing cereals with gluten to separate this component from the rest, so that they can be consumed safely by people with celiac disease.
The main advantage of this approach is that people with celiac disease will be able to enjoy a flour similar to the traditional one, with its valuable nutrients and the rich texture and flavor offered to the products obtained from it.
Elimination of gluten
The idea of producing gluten-free wheat flour came from one of the entrepreneurs when he realized what problems celiac people and their families face on a daily basis when it comes to finding quality food suitable for them and the difficulty they often have in identify products on the market that are truly gluten-free and have not undergone possible cross-contamination. Consequently, to all these problems are added the possible harmful effects on the health of those people who, suffering from celiac disease, consume gluten without knowing it.
Studies suggest that around 0,7% of the EU population suffers from this disease. And in recent years, shortages of ingredients such as rice flour have put pressure on the prices of gluten-free products, with celiacs spending more on their monthly food budget than non-celiacs.
Thus, the company aims to reduce food price pressure for celiacs, whose reliance on gluten-free products can prove costly. Representatives of the Spanish company claim that since the manufacturing process of Bread Free flour is similar to that of ordinary wheat flour, these price constraints do not affect it.
Safe and healthy diet
In addition, research conducted in 2022 showed that despite the widespread adoption of diets gluten free for health reasons, gluten-free products with wheat flour substitutes are often less healthy than their gluten-containing counterparts. The advantage of Bread Free flour is that it preserves the nutritional qualities of wheat. Therefore, people who suffer from celiac they can still enjoy its benefits and follow a healthy and safe diet.
With the technology developed by the Spanish company, in Bread Free flour it is not necessary to compensate for the lack of gluten, because it is still present, but below 10 ppm (parts per million), which does not harm the celiac person, while respecting the food regulations in force.
To obtain the innovative flour, Bread Free uses biotechnology, but it is not genetically modified wheat. It starts from raw conventional wheat flour, then treated in such a way as to preserve all the properties of wheat flour, but at the same time transforming the gluten so that it is not harmful to celiac people.
Biotechnology and artificial intelligence
According to company representatives, products made with Bread Free flour retain the taste and texture of regular bakery products made with wheat flour. However, there are some cases where it is necessary to use a low amount of additive to reproduce the optimal texture, such as methylcellulose in the case of ciabatta bread, however, the start-up aims to eliminate the need for additives in the future.
The company also uses artificial intelligence to optimize the industrial process and perform continuous analysis on the production chain to ensure product safety and further reduce costs. And the technology is 100% sustainable, because the start-up, to revolutionize the gluten-free diet, uses by-products from the agri-food industry.
Currently, innovative products are still in the technological development phase. The company aims to launch this year, first in Spain and then throughout Europe, the first product of the range which will be wheat flour suitable for celiac people. It will be possible to make bakery products that preserve the texture and taste of those made from conventional wheat flour, with guaranteed optimal nutritional quality and a clean label.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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