18 Oct 2012 --- Consumers are increasingly demanding the development of ready-to-eat gluten and lactose-free food products that meet their needs and help improve their health. A recent study in Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), shows how new white sauce formulations are being created to meet these demands.

Consumers with celiac disease often find that gluten-free products are of inferior quality compared with their traditional, non-gluten-free counterparts. Traditional white sauce is made with milk, flour or starch, oil, and salt. The study looks at how the use of vegetable protein source and gluten-free starches can make a type of sauce suitable for vegetarian, lactose intolerant and consumers with celiac disease.

The researcher replaced milk with soy protein which improves the structure of the sauce as well as makes it consumable for lactose-intolerant consumers, and at the same time, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. Traditional flour was replaced with gluten-free waxy starches such as corn and rice that each improves the structure of the sauce with minimal effects on color and taste. Inulin, a well-known functional ingredient that is known for reducing the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, was used to replace the oil.

The results have shown that these sauces have a high degree of stability under refrigeration storage and good consumer acceptability.