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Batter Flour

A batter flour is used during the coating of a substrate (meat, fish, potatoes, vegetables, etc.) The batter acts as a binding agent for the breadcrumbs. The artisanal egg white which is more difficult to handle in production is thus replaced by a batter based on heat-treated flour.

The types of batter flour are obtained by subjecting a standard flour to a hydrothermal treatment so that it acquires the characteristics below:

  • Inactivation of the enzymes present, of which amylases are the most important. This means we obtain a stable cold viscosity, because the amylases can no longer break down the starch.
  • The gluten (= protein fraction) is denatured so that lump formation can be avoided.
  • The heat treatment leads to a significant reduction of the microbial flora, with the result that the batter is microbo logically more stable than artisanal egg white, thus leading to a longer shelf life.
  • Because the starch is unlocked to a certain extent, we obtain a batter with a higher cold viscosity than when untreated flour is used.

Our range comprises 3 standard types of batter flour, each with its specific characteristics :
Stanley
This is the most important basic batter flour. It is obtained by using mild hydrothermal treatment. It has a cold viscosity of an average of 1000 mPa.s at a dilution rate of 1-2. The moisture content is approximately 13%.
Tasman
This is essentially similar to the Stanley; the moisture content of this batter flour is
simply reduced to 8%. The cold viscosity is the same as the Stanley.
Livingstone
This batter flour has undergone a more thorough heat treatment so that the cold viscosity is raised to 4000 mPa.s at a dilution rate of 1-2. The moisture content of the batter flour is 13%.

Predusts

These are (often) coarse flour types that are used as an auxiliary agent when coating fish products (watery substrate), vegetables and other surfaces that are difficult to coat. The predust is applied to the substrate to absorb a large portion of the moisture. This means that the batter and breadcrumbs adhere much better to the substrate. This also prevents the batter from being overly diluted by the free water from the substrate.

Predusts are also developed by using a mild heat treatment due to the following reasons:

  • Microbial killing so that the watery substrate is contaminated to the least possible extent by the predust.
  • By micronizing the coarse flour it is possible to control the particle size of the predust in order to take better advantage of the various processes in which predust is used.
  • Predusts demonstrate excellent flowing characteristics and reduce dust formation substantially compared with ordinary forms of flour.

Advantages from using a predust:

  • An increased pickup of the final product, and therefore an extra yield for the producer.
  • Provides a qualitatively better product, thanks to an attractive coating on the final product.

The predusts in our range are: Humboldt, Pizarro, Vespucci. Each one has a specific particle size and colour.

 

Livingstone and Stanley are two extremes when it comes to viscosity in batter flour varieties.  Users can mix these varieties themselves. However, we also produce tailor-made flour varieties with a clearly defined viscosity within strict limits.  

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