Researchers have found a new method to turn sweet potatoes into gluten-free flours that are packed with antioxidants and perfect for thickening or baking, a Feb. 13 news release said.
The release noted while wheat flour has been used for tens of thousands of years, for those who have gluten intolerance or have celiac disease, the gluten proteins in wheat flour can lead to stomach pain, nausea, and even intestinal damage. While there are several gluten-free options already available or in development, there is now another option.
Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants and nutrients and have a slightly sweet flavour and hint of colour, the release said. Ofelia Rouzaud-Sández and colleagues investigated how two drying temperatures and grinding processes affected the properties of orange sweet potato flour. In the past parameters around sweet potato flour have been investigated but it hadn’t been determined how to create a sweet potato flour suitable for baking different things.
To create the flours, the team prepared samples of orange sweet potatoes dried at either 122 or 176 F grinding them once or twice after. The release said they then investigated many parameters for each sample, comparing them to store-bought sweet potato flour and a traditional wheat one.
“Regardless of drying temperature, grinding once damaged just enough of the starch to make it ideal for fermented products, such as gluten-free breads. Grinding twice further disrupted the starch’s crystallinity, producing thickening agents ideal for porridges or sauces,” the release said.
It was also found that when baked as a bread, the high-temperature-dried, single-ground sample featured higher antioxidant capacity than both the store-bought version and the wheat flour. The release noted researchers said these findings could help expand the applications for orange sweet potato flour, both for home cooks and the packaged food industry.
The findings were published in ACS Food Science & Technology.
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