Strategies for overcoming dough stickiness during the processing of low soduim breads

加拿大人在饮食中摄入了太多的盐，其中大部分(~80%)来自加工食品(如烘焙产品、汤、奶酪等)和餐馆食品；与高血压相关的问题，如心血管疾病和中风，给我们的医疗保健系统造成了巨大的经济消耗。减少食物中的盐分被认为是降低高血压最具成本效益的方法。作为加拿大卫生部减钠战略的一部分，面包中的钠含量将从目前的~480毫克钠/100克面包降低到2016年的~330毫克/100克面包；然而，由于面团粘性问题(即与设备的粘性、生产中断、浪费和最终面包产品的质构问题)，这样的水平给高通量的现代植物面包店带来了巨大的加工挑战。这项研究项目的总体目标是了解钠在面团可加工性中的作用，以便开发出在低钠面包加工过程中对抗面团粘性的行业准备策略。具体地说，该项目的重点是更好地了解钠的功能，因为它与面筋网络的水合作用有关，使用光谱学、流变学、大变形测试和新的超声波技术。在这项研究中获得的知识将使低钠面团/面包配方中的水流动性得到更好的控制，而不需要对现有制造设备进行昂贵的检修，也不需要特别操纵具有特殊昂贵成分的面团配方。降低面包等广泛消费产品中的膳食钠，最终将有助于改善加拿大人和子孙后代的健康和福祉。

Canadians are consuming way too much salt in their diets, with the majority (~80%) coming from processed (e.g., baked products, soups, cheeses, etc) and restaurant foods; creating a significant economic drain on our health care system associated with hypertension-related issues such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Salt reduction in foods is regarded as the most cost-effective way to reduce hypertension. As part of Health Canada's Sodium Reduction strategy, sodium levels in bread are to be reduced from current levels of ~480 mg sodium/100 g bread to ~330 mg/100 g by 2016; however, such levels create significant processing challenges for high-throughput modern plant bakeries because of dough stickiness problems (i.e., adhesion to equipment, disruptions in production, waste, and textural issues in the final bread product). The overall aim of this research project is to understand the role of sodium in dough machinability so as to develop industry-ready strategies for combating dough stickiness in the processing of low sodium breads. Specifically, the project focuses on better understanding of sodium functionality as it relates to hydration of the gluten network using spectroscopy, rheology, large deformation testing and a novel ultrasound technique. Knowledge gained in this study will enable water mobility within low sodium dough/bread formulations to be better controlled, without the need for expensive overhauling of current manufacturing equipment or ad hoc manipulations of dough formulations with specialized costly ingredients. The lowering of dietary sodium in a widely consumed product, such as bread, will ultimately aid in improving the health and wellbeing of Canadians and future generations to come.