What is the function of food fermentation agent

Food leavening agent is what we often call baking powder. Yeast is a type of household food leavening agent. Food leavening agents have a wide range of uses, and are mainly used in the production of pasta and puffed foods. Sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid are the main ingredients of food leavening agents, and the food produced by them will not be affected by flavor, which means that the taste of the product will not be affected.

Baking powder is a compound additive, mainly used in the production of flour products and puffed foods. Baking powder contains many substances, the main ingredients are sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid. Usually a compound of carbonate and solid acid. When carbonates come into contact with water and acids, they dissociate into several substances. During this process, carbon dioxide is released but no flavor substances are produced. Therefore the taste of the product will not be affected.

Classification

Chemical bulking agents

baking powder

1. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate): Under the action of acidic substances contained in food, baking soda can decompose into sodium ions, water and carbon dioxide gas, the latter of which can make food fluffy. However, the reaction of baking soda releasing gas requires the presence of acidic substances and is completed in a very short time. The initiation of the reaction is difficult to control, and using too much will produce bitterness or astringency. For these reasons, baking soda is rarely used alone as a leavening agent and is generally used as one of the ingredients of a compound leavening agent.

2. Odor powder (ammonium bicarbonate): Odor powder is generally used when gas needs to be produced quickly and in large quantities. Odor powder decomposes into water, ammonia and carbon dioxide gas when heated or in acidic conditions. Due to the rapid release, very little ammonia remains in the finished product and no ammonia smell will be detected in the finished product. Since stinky powder easily decomposes and releases ammonia (which is where the name of stinky powder comes from) and loses its effect, it is difficult to store and is generally rarely used in households. Stinky powder is used when baking peach shortbread or certain cookies.

3. Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate or potassium aluminum sulfate, SAS): Commonly used alum is actually an acidic mixture. When it reacts with inherent or added ingredients in food such as baking soda, it releases gas and has a fluffy effect. It is also generally used as an acid component of compound bulking agents. The characteristic is that it can react quickly at high temperature. A common example is fried dough sticks.

4. Baking powder: It is a compound leavening agent and there are many different types. Generally, solid alkali and acid powders are mixed. Under dry conditions, they do not come into contact with each other and do not react. Once they come into contact with water, they will dissolve and react to release gas. Solid alkali powder is often baking soda, solid acid powder includes tartrate (tartar) and phosphate (phosphate, such as calcium phosphate and sodium pyrophosphate).

The reaction speed is very fast; in addition, alum (SAS) is used as a solid acid, the reaction speed is much slower, but it is very fast at high temperature. Alum is commonly found in double-acting (DA) baking powders. Double-acting means that after adding water and flour to mix, baking soda first reacts with fast solid acid (such as tartrate powder) to release the first batch of gas. At this time, alum and baking soda basically do not react, but when heated, alum and baking soda release the second batch of gas when heated. This is the so-called double-acting. Double-active baking powder is common in the market. Some self-raising flours also have baking powder already mixed in and need to be baked quickly after adding water. Because baking powder is easy to store and control, it has become the most commonly used leavening agent and is used in most Western pastries.

5. Hazards of chemical bulking agents:

Since the reaction products of baking soda and stinking powder (carbon dioxide, ammonia) are also products of human metabolism, they will not cause obvious health problems as long as they are not used in excess, but they will destroy certain nutrients in food such as vitamins. Both alum and baking powder contain aluminum. Many international reports have pointed out that aluminum is closely related to Alzheimer's disease. It also reduces memory, suppresses immune function, and hinders nerve conduction. In addition, aluminum is excreted from the human body very slowly. The use of alum and baking powder in food should be strictly controlled, and aluminum-containing foods should be eaten as little as possible.

Biological fluffing agent

yeast

Yeast is a single-celled, facultative anaerobic eukaryotic microorganism. After being added to the dough, it can produce carbon dioxide gas through its own metabolism to achieve the purpose of fluffy dough. This process is usually called fermentation. In the past, old dough was often used for fermentation, mainly relying on wild yeast and some miscellaneous fungi. The dough often contained organic acids, making it sour, and baking soda needed to be added to neutralize the sour taste. The metabolic products of miscellaneous bacteria and the added baking soda may introduce harmful components or destroy nutrients. The active yeast commonly used in modern times is of high purity and rarely produces acidic substances. At the same time, yeast itself is composed of protein and carbohydrates, and is rich in B vitamins and other trace elements such as calcium and iron, and has high nutritional value. Yeast, as a leavening agent for pasta, requires sufficient time and temperature to produce carbon dioxide.

Obviously, yeast is a beneficial biological leavening agent that has no negative effects on the human body and can provide nutrients and vitamins that are necessary but lacking in humans. It is the most ideal fermentation method. It is fundamentally different from chemical baking powder. In short, yeast is not chemical baking powder!