PRESS RELEASE
1996-04-11
Beet fibre makes the bread keep longer

A little beet fibre in the baking makes for a richer bread that keeps longer. This has been shown in a recent German study where bread with and without beet fibre was compared. The researchers found that the beet-fibre bread stayed fresh and free from crumbling on average two days longer than bread without beet fibres.
Fibrex, which is a natural product from the sugar-beet fields of southern Sweden, contains 67 percent (by the AOAC-method) dietary fibre and has documented medical effects.

Beet fibre, which is produced from the cell walls of the sugar-beet, is capable of holding large quantities of fluid throughout the entire baking process, and also during freezing and subsequent defrosting. The beet fibre holds three-four times its own weight. The higher water content means that the bread keeps soft longer without becoming old and dry.
One of Germany's leading research and development institutes in the baking industry, IGV (Institut für Getreideverarbeitung) has studied the quality differences between bread with beet fibre and bread without. Three different types of bread were used in the study: white bread, farmhouse bread and rye bread.
Different quality aspects were measured: the water content in the crumb sample after 24 hours, the degree of crumbling after 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 days, the softness of the bread after the same number of days etc.
The result of the study for plain white bread was that the dough and bread yield increased by several percent with an addition of 1.5 percent beet fibre and that the bread kept at least 24 hours longer.
The results for farmhouse bread were similar to those for plain white bread. Without the fibre the bread kept fresh for four days, with the beet fibre it kept for 5 days. Rye bread retained its freshness an extra two days with a two percent fibre addition.

Precise dosage
'We take great care over the Fibrex dosage during baking,' says Lars-Uno Hellberg, who is a bakery consultant at Fibrex AB and has been in the trade since the fifties.
'When we started ten years ago we added too much beet fibre, which produced a heavy bread with a slight taste. Now we have reduced the quantity to 1.5-3 percent of the flour and the result is much better.'
Fibrex is also used in buns and cakes. In small quantities, Fibrex produces a good taste and softness. Fibrex is a natural product with a 67 percent fibre content and exists in several different milled fractions.
Leif Yngvesson, the owner of Färjestadens Hembageri on Öland, has obtained good results from mixing Fibrex in the bread.
'It makes the bread richer and keeps it fresh at least a day longer,' he says, 'which of course the customers appreciate.'
Fibrex can also be used as an ingredient in other foods. The fibre is stable during freezing and cooking and provides richness and a pleasing chewiness, for example, in pies and minced meat dishes.
The beet fibre has documented medical effects. It helps lower the blood sugar level in diabetics, reduces the harmful cholesterol, LDL, and relieves constipation. The beet fibres are naturally free from gluten and phytic acid. /ins

Caption 1
It's not just sugar that comes from the sugar-beet fields of southern Sweden. The cell walls of the beet also provide useful beet fibres with a wide area of use within the food industry.

Caption 2
According to a recent German study, an addition of Fibrex in the bread produces a richer bread which keeps fresh on average two days longer than the same bread without beet fibre.

Caption 3
Fibrex in the baking produces a softer, richer bread that keeps for about two days longer. This has been shown in a German study. The columns show how long the bread keeps fresh.

For further information contact:
Anneli Mårtensson, Marketing Assistant
Fibrex AB
205 04 Malmö, Sweden
Tel. +46 40 53 70 40 Fax. +46 40 43 21 90