Cultured wheat flour has long been used in the food industry. These days, you’ll notice it on the labels of a wide variety of baked goods and other food items.
In many cases, it is listed as an ingredient in clean-label products or those marketed as real food (i.e. minimally processed with no harmful contents).
Cultured wheat flour is a natural food preservative that is effective in preventing the growth of mold, yeast, and several types of unwanted bacteria. As such, it plays a huge role in food preservation, specifically in lengthening the shelf life of commercially manufactured food products.
Cultured wheat flour is mostly used in the production of baked goods. It is useful for yeasted products (e.g., loaf bread), quick bread (e.g., muffins), and flatbread (e.g., tortillas, naan). It also helps build a desirable texture.
Cultured wheat flour is also known to enhance the flavor profile of food. Most describe the added taste to be mild yet slightly sweet, and nutty.
Cultured Wheat Flour Ingredients Cultured wheat flour is produced by fermenting wheat flour using Propionibacterium , which is widely used in cheesemaking and manufacturing a number of dairy products. When culturing wheat flour, the bacteria produce natural propionic acid, acetic acid, and other short-chain fatty acids and metabolites, which impart antimicrobial properties.
Once the fermentation process is complete, the cultured product is dried (usually spray-dried for efficiency and freshness) and packaged as a white or off-white powder.
Cultured wheat flour is often used in place of chemical preservatives like calcium and sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, and benzoates. Research shows that such artificial ingredients are effective in fighting food spoilage but at the cost of certain health risks like asthma, allergies, and other inflammatory conditions.
The fermentation with Propionibacterium has obtained GRAS standing with the US FDA. This means it is generally regarded as safe for human consumption. Additionally, the European Food Safety Authority lists Propionibacterium as QPS, or food ingredients with a qualified presumption of safety.
Cultured wheat flour is typically vegan. If you follow a vegan diet, a Kosher certification should give you additional assurance that the product is made without the use of animal-derived ingredients. That means it contains neither meat nor dairy. To be vegan, please ensure the manufacturer of the Cultured Wheat does perform any animal testing.
Vegan and Kosher-certified cultured wheat flour is dairy-free. The confusion about this being a dairy-contaminated product stems from the bacterium’s widespread use in the dairy industry. Additionally, Propionibacterium cultures may have originated from milk. However, many manufacturers have long been able to propagate the bacteria without the use of any dairy products.
While cultured wheat flour itself is not keto, products that use it as a natural preservative could be keto-friendly. The end-products effect on ketogenesis will depend on the primary flour (in the case of baked goods) and the other ingredients. It’s important to note that this ingredient is only used in small portions. So, if you’re following a ketogenic diet, you won’t need to worry that cultured wheat flour would significantly impact your daily net carb consumption, but it is recommended to check the label on the finished product.
Is there organic cultured wheat flour?
Yes, there are organic cultured wheat flour products. If you require an organic product for food preservation, look for organic certification from a legitimate organization.
Is cultured wheat flour gluten-free?
No, cultured wheat flour is not a gluten-free food preservative. As such, cultured wheat flour is not a suitable preservative for people with celiac disease, allergies, and other gluten sensitivities. If you need a natural shelf life extender without gluten, there are equally safe but more suitable options like Cultured Brown Rice, Cultured Whey, and Cultured Dextrose.
So, what is Cultured Dextrose?
You might find cultured dextrose listed on the label of food products you want to try or are already consuming. But if you have allergies, sensitivities, or diet restrictions, it’s essential to know what exactly this ingredient is, why it’s used, and how it might affect you.
Cultured Dextrose is a natural shelf life extender produced via a unique controlled fermentation of dextrose (sugar) with Propionibacterium bacteria. Propionibacteria has a long history of safe use in food. After a natural fermentation the product undergoes pasteurization, evaporating and spray drying. The finished product is a powder that consists of metabolites like propionic and acetic acid as well as peptides which together make an excellent alternative to synthetically produced preservatives.
Although cultured dextrose has a wide variety of applications, it is most popular among manufacturers of clean-label food products. Cultured dextrose can be found in baked goods like sliced bread, tortillas, dips, spreads, condiments, salad dressing, meat products and even pet food.
As early as 2003, substantial scientific evidence had already been filed with the US Food & Drug Administration regarding the efficacy and safety of dextrose cultured with Propionibacterium. The US FDA has accepted the evidence and has required no further studies on the matter.The food industry has used cultured dextrose as an additive for decades. No health concerns have been reported regarding its use and consumption and it is commonly regarded as a safer alternative to benzoates and sorbates.
Cultured dextrose is vegan assuming it’s consistent with commonly recognized vegan standards. The ingredient or its sub ingredients, including inputs used to produce them, should not be derived from an animal source (dairy, meat, eggs, bee products, wool, skin, egg shells, insect dyes) and the product should not undergo any animal testing.
The bacteria used in cultured dextrose fermentation (Propionibacterium) could have originally been isolated from dairy or soil. However, since the original strain was isolated, most manufacturers have propagated the bacteria tens of thousands of times without the use of any animal or dairy nutrients.
If you’re following a vegan diet or are sensitive to dairy, it’s essential to check the source of cultured dextrose. Ensure that the dextrose and the bacteria used to ferment it does not include any dairy. You can further check for a Kosher Pareve certification, which ensures that the product contains no dairy per kosher standards. A product labeled as Vegan should be sufficient.
Cultured dextrose is typically gluten-free, but it’s essential to note that it’s not always the case. Dextrose is commonly derived from corn, which is gluten-free. However, dextrose can also be derived from non-gluten-free sources like wheat. Furthermore, some manufacturers may standardize or dilute their fermentation product with flour or other gluten containing diluents. If you suffer from Celiac Disease or are sensitive to gluten in any way, it’s essential to check the source of cultured dextrose. Products with a gluten-free label should be safe for you to consume. For extra assurance, you can request that the cultured dextrose be tested to remain beneath the FDA limit of 20 ppm gluten. So the raw material for our fermented propionate products is corn.