CHALLENGE

Based in Fergus, Ont., Pilling Foods is a health and natural-food wholesale company, providing high-quality, gluten-free, non-GMO and organic flours, seeds and baking ingredients. They engaged with the Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC) for help in formulating a flour replacement blend that would be “unique and versatile” and a 1:1 replacement. The unique development of gluten is key for structural and textural characteristics of baked goods, and understanding the functionality of gluten-free starches and evaluating how they can be complementary and synergistic to give similar results as gluten is extremely challenging.

SOLUTION

After identifying key ingredients and working within food safety and quality parameters, the research team took its formulations to the lab kitchen at Niagara College’s Culinary Institute to evaluate the functionality and properties of various starches and tested in different baked goods. The final product is called Good Eats: Bakers Blends Complete Flour Replacement, and is available in regular and chocolate flavour. It is both gluten-free, non-GMO and touts as being a good source of fibre.