Effect of a monoacyl-glycerol structured shortening alternative on wheat dough rheology, starchpasting, and structural features of wheat proteins

This thesis investigates the interaction of monoacyglycerol-stabilized oil in water emulsion (MAG gel) at various addition levels with flour and its components in comparison to a mixture of its unstructured components and commercial lipids. The MAG gel was developed as a shortening alternative to eliminate trans and decrease saturated fat in baked products. MAG gel showed similarities to shortening with regards to dough development time, delayed gluten aggregation, and re-alignment of a probe on protein surfaces. MAG gel showed similarities with oil and the mixture with regards to Farinogram curve characteristics. The monoglyceride component dictated the effects on starch pasting with MAG gel and mixture exhibiting similar trends. The MAG gel also exhibited some unique characteristics. Results suggest that the MAG gel could be used as an effective shortening alternative while further studies are required to study the effects of incorporation on the textural and sensory properties of baked products.