Grant: College - University Idea to Innovation Grants

Development of Techniques and Processes for Gluten Degradation and Improved Nutritional Value of Sourdough Bread Synopsis: The Vancouver Community College's Baking and Pastry Arts Program (VCC), the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and their industry partners Rogers Foods are proposing to develop a methodology and guidelines to produce high quality sourdough breads with reduced gluten content using an optimized long fermentation method. The primary objective is to partially or even completely degrade the toxic a-gliadins that contain the peptides associated to Celiac Disease (CD). Concurrently, this research will also focus on improving the bread's flavor, texture, and shelf-life and on increasing its health benefits through selection of high quality nutritional ingredients and improvement of fermentation processes. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, 1% or 300,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease (CD), an autoimmune disease where the surface of the small intestine that absorbs nutrients from food is damaged by gluten. In addition, about 6% Canadians are living with non-CD gluten sensitivity. Recently, many artisan bakers throughout Canada, the US and Europe have reported that particular types of sourdough breads made using traditional bread-making methods could be safely consumed by individuals with gluten sensitivities and even CD. To assess this anecdotal observation, VCC started a collaborative research project with BCIT to evaluate the quality and gluten content of sourdough breads produced using a unique long fermentation method. This initial study demonstrated that some sourdough breads made through this long fermentation process had a significant lower gluten content compared to breads made with commercial yeast and short fermentation times. This CUI2I proposal will involve selection and testing selected high quality Canadian flours and sourdough starters as well as working with industry partners for flour-milling, starter preparation, and fermentation process and production techniques to produce the highest quality of sourdough breads with numerous health benefits and improved shelf-life.