Gluten-free muffins versus gluten containing muffins: Ingredients and nutritional differences

Abstract

BackgroundUnlike with bread dough, the gluten network is hardly developed in bakery products, meaning, generally speaking, it is not necessary to resort to food additives to substitute the wheat protein. Moreover, this kind of commercial product has greater variability in terms of formulation, meaning it is difficult to compare the various products due to both the ingredients’ functionality and the nutritional values. Scope and approachThis article compares different types of commercial muffins and ‘Magdalenas’ (Spanish muffins), both with and without gluten, as an example of bakery products made with batters. The ingredients used in their formulation and their nutritional value were analysed with reference to relevant studies and research. Key findings and conclusionsThe differences between the nutritional values of muffins with and without gluten are less important than with other products, where gluten plays an essential role. However, the gluten-free products present the highest variability in nutritional values, compared to the products with gluten. This is related to the greater homogeneity of formulations containing gluten compared with those without gluten. In general, gluten-free products have a higher content of egg and thickening agents in their formulations.