What Is Vital Wheat Gluten?
Gluten is an incredibly versatile protein that is naturally occurring in wheat and other similar grains. When it’s extracted from wheat, the free-flowing protein-packed powder is known as vital wheat gluten.
What Is Vital Wheat Gluten Used For?
Vital wheat gluten is primarily used in food applications for its huge impact on texture! When combined with a liquid during production, vital wheat gluten becomes highly elastic and taffy-like, making it a very functional ingredient in two niche applications.
Bakery: Let’s Raise the Dough
Adding vital wheat gluten to yeast breads – particularly those made with whole grain flours and coarse cereals that are lower in gluten – helps give the bread volume and achieve the desired chewiness through retaining the gas and steam released during the baking process. Without it you might end up with a denser loaf & dryer crumb.
Meat Alternatives: What’s Wheat Got to do With It?
Vital wheat gluten is the main ingredient in a plant-based meat alternative known as seitan and is used in a variety of other plant-based alternatives, such as meatless sausages, burgers, meatballs, deli slices and tofurky. Its binding properties help yield the meat-like texture so many consumers crave when seeking plant-based options.
Benefits of Vital Wheat Gluten
Although vital wheat gluten will not be an option for gluten-free products, it’s a great alternative ingredient to deliver on soy-free claims in growing product categories, including meat alternatives.
Vital wheat gluten is a highly functional ingredient with respect to texture, but with its average protein concentration of 75-80%, it will also pump up the protein in your nutritional facts panel.
Beyond packaging claims, vital wheat gluten adopts the flavours and seasonings you use, creating a perfect blank canvas for your next formula.
Let’s Team Up.
At Blendtek Ingredients, our priority is to support your team. From our consulting services and formulation expertise, through to sourcing ingredients within our trusted supply network, we will accelerate the success of your product pipeline with ingredient solutions that deliver.