Targeted Inhibition of Enzymatic Browning in Wheat Pastry Dough

Abstract

Enzymatic browning primarily affects fruits and vegetables but also occurs in wheat-based food. Herein, the browning behavior in wheat pastry dough was investigated aiming toward a targeted inhibitory treatment without influencing the pastry dough properties such as workability or taste. Dough discoloration is attributed to several subsequent enzyme-substrate reactions, which can selectively be inhibited by food additives. In most cases, an effective and lasting inhibition is only guaranteed by compounds acting upon multiple inhibition pathways. Despite their effectiveness, the unlimited use of commercial inhibitors is nondesirable due to necessary labeling, thus sustainable and natural inhibitors usually occurring as conventional food ingredients are of interest. It is shown that white wine combined with lemon juice revealed itself as an ideal combination for prevention of enzymatic browning in pastry dough.

Keywords: consumer acceptance; enzymatic browning; shelf life; targeted inhibition; wheat dough.